Starlog Magazine Issue 140

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BARON MUNCHAUSEN True facts about the world's greatest

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THE SCIENCE FICTION UNIVERSE

MARCH #140

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Introducing
the son of
Brundlefly!

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UK

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N EXT GENE RATION

Wil Wheaton,
"token-teenager"

~^AUTY&THE BEAST
juse tales

STARM AN Why it lives

SOMETHING
IS OUT THERE
Why it failed

Eric Stoltz as

Martin Brundle

& Daphne Zuniga

as Beth Logan

In the Battle bet\

veen

>od and evil, this one counts.

The Terran Overlord Government

controls all but a thin sliver of the

Galaxy with its Iron Fist.

Resistance is useless.

Their victory is soon to be final.

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NUMBER 140

MARCH 1989

THE SCIENCE FICTION UNIVER5E

Wil Wheaton— Page 65

10

15

24

29

34

37

UNIVERSE WITH A VIEW

in their fiction, Janet & Chris
Morris look to futures possible

HERE TODAY,
CAN TOMORROW

All David Jackson wanted out of
"Blake's 7" was a few more lines

THIS ISLAND EARTHLINC

Rex Reason offers his memories
of Metaluna & movies

BILL MURRAY, CHOSTBUSTER

While awaiting poltergeistzation,
hey, man, he got "Scrooged"

SOMETHING WAS OUT
THERE. . .

it lurked in front of TV sets, but
was it an audience?

SON OF PLY

Eric Stoltz has a new mask— one
part man, one part insect

Baron Munchausen— Page 45

45 MUNCHAUSEN MANIA!

Charles McKeown writes— from
"Brazil" with bizarre

49 LET'S TALK MOUSE TRAPS

David Greenlee lives the magic of
"Beauty & the Beast"

52 THE NIGEL KNEALE
DISCOVERY

Deep in the Pit, Quatermass
uncovered man's alien heritage

58 THE GUESTS OF "TREK"

They chronicled gangsters, cloud
minders & space fugitives

65 WIL WHEATON,

TOKEN TEENAGER

Crowing up on the "Enterprise"
is both dream & nightmare

The Fly ll— Page 37

DEPARTMENTS

PROM THE BRIDGE

COMMUNICATIONS

Farewell, Dr. crusher

8 MEDIALOG

18 FAN NETWORK

Celebrating "Starman"

21 VIDEOLOG

41 TRADING POST

69 CLASSIFIED

74 LINER NOTES

5
6

STARLOC is published monthly by O'QUINN STUDIOS, INC., 475 Park Avenue South, New York, n.y. 10016. STARLOG is a registered trademark of O'Quinn Studios, Inc.
(ISSN 0191-4626) This is issue Number 140, March 1989. content is © copyright 1989 by O'Quinn studios, inc. All rights reserved. Reprint or reproduction in part or
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A UNIVERSE OF

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r ROGER RABBirS^

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THE BLOB

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MARCH 1989 #140

Business and Editorial Offices:

O'Quinn Studios, Inc.

475 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10016

President/Publisher

NORMAN JACOBS

Executive Vice President
RITA EISENSTEIN

Associate Publisher

MILBURN SMITH

V.P., Circulation Director
ART SCHULKIN

Creative Director

W.R. MOHALLEY

Editor

DAVID MCDONNELL

Special Effects Editor
DAVID HUTCHISON

Associate Editors

EDDIE BERCANZA

DANIEL DICKHOLTZ

Contributing Editors

ANTHONY TIMPONE

J. PETER ORR

Editorial Consultant

KERRY O'QUINN

Art Director

JIM MCLERNON

Senior Correspondent
STEVE SWIRES

west coast Correspondent

MARC SHAPIRO

Financial Director

JOANBAETZ

Marketing Director

FRANK M. ROSNER

Advertising Design
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Photos: Baron Munchausen: S. Strizzi/Copyright
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FROM THE BRIDGE

Burn This!

If the science fiction universe is burdened with an unfair negative reputation, the
horror field suffers even worse. As most of you know, we publish FANGORIA,
a magazine which keeps fans of horror informed about upcoming movies, video
releases, special FX and makeup techniques, and presents well-researched articles and
exclusive interviews with the many talented creators who work in that field. For 10
years, FANGORIA has been to horror what STARLOG is to science fiction — the
complete source of news, information and entertainment for fans.

Last year, we launched another horror magazine, GOREZONE — which includes
material (such as fiction) we didn't have room for in FANGORIA. All three of these
magazines seem to have reached their audience. They are selling well — the best free-
market indicator that we are providing customers with something they find valuable.

But not everyone approves. I want to share with you one of the strongest letters of
condemnation I have ever received:

"To Whom It May Concern;

"I confiscated your trashy GOREZONE magazine from a student in my sixth
grade class today. I am filled with absolute disgust that you publish such filthW I tore
the magazine to shreds in front of the class, and I threw the pieces into the fireplace
and watched it burn when I arrived home.

"It is obvious that you publish such filth with the intention of making a profit, at
the cost of warping childrens minds. You are truly sickVA

"I think your trashy magazine should be against the law."

Out of courtesy, I have withheld the actual name and address of the schoolteacher
who wrote this letter. Let's just call her Mrs. Burns.

Dear Mrs. Burns, our magazine is not against the law. We are protected by the
First Amendment of the Constitution, which also protects your freedom of speech.

Since we've just celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the American Constitution,
perhaps it is appropriate for me to deliver a quick lesson on individual rights.

Our Founding Fathers recognized that humans are individuals, each with personal
values and pleasures which are not homogeneous (as in "common"). These wise men
decided that human variety is good, and that the government should stand firmly in
the way of society becoming homogenized (as in "milk").

The greatest danger of blending humanity into a giant pail of milk, they said, is the
power of any individual (or group) to force his values upon others. What we want,
they said, is a Constitution which secures for each individual the right to pursue
happiness in his or her chosen way — and which prevents anyone who disagrees from
enforcing their position. Conflicts among people, they reasoned, should be settled by
logical persuasion or by a court of law — not by coercion.

Now, Mrs. Burns, in your classroom you have every right to prevent students from
reading magazines or to present students with your opinions on why they shouldn't
read certain publications — but in my humble opinion, confiscation and destruction of
personal property is a violation of the First Amendment.

Let's talk about "warping children's minds" for a moment. If a child in your class
sees you take anything from a student by force, what is the lesson that child takes
away? (Come on now, let's not always see the same hands. . .)

The lesson is, "Physical force can be justified!" Though I am not a child
psychologist, it is my opinion that the child who learns such a lesson is likely to be
the child who strikes a fellow student on the playground when there is a difference of
opinion. This might be the child who steals or, as an adult, beats his wife and
children, when he feels he is justified. This might even be the child who becomes a
political dictator, because he has learned that it is OK to force others to do "what is
right" — for their own good, of course.

I believe that your behavior will, sadly, help populate our world with more people
who are narrow-minded, dictatorial and violent.

Mrs. Burns, you have a lot of nerve calling us sick! You have a lot of nerve accus-
ing us of seeking a profit with a tone which implies that making money is an immoral
goal, rather than the heart of Free Enterprise (another American innovation of which
you could use a refresher course).

I want to urge you, Mrs. Burns, to correct your unfortunate public example - by
apologizing, before the entire class, to the student whose property you burned and by
offering to replace his copy of GOREZONE.

If you do, the children's fear of you will be replaced by a new respect.

— Kerry O'Quinn

STARLOG/March 1989 5

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WHITHER HAMILTON?

... I would like to thank you for the fine articles
about Beauty & the Beast which you have publish-
ed over the past several months and also for print-
ing so many delightful letters from fans of the
show in Communications. I was quite disap-
pointed however to read in #137 that Linda
Hamilton has elected not to grant an interview at
this time; I think she's the greatest actress of all
time! By the way, I have to point out that you
were mistaken when you said that she "recently
spoke to Ladies' Home Journal in a cover story
interview." I spent two hours at the library yester-
day searching for this alleged interview, but to no
avail. You must have meant the cover story in the
August 1988 issue of Good Housekeeping, in
which both Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman
were interviewed.

You were quite right in referring her fans to
Will Murray's interview in FANGORIA #60,
however. That was the longest and most lavishly
illustrated Linda Hamilton interview ever publish-
ed, and the only one in which she recounts her
early film career, as far as I know, and I highly
recommend that all serious Linda Hamilton fans
order this back issue from STARLOG PRESS

61054-0132

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right away! But again, I have to point out an er-
ror. This article stated that "Her first movie
was. . . T.A.G.: The Assassination Game....
Then came ... a TV movie, Rape and Marriage."
In fact, Rape and Marriage was done in 1980,
whereas T.A.G. was filmed in 1981 and released
in 1982. However, T.A.G. was Hamilton's first
film made for theatrical release; and her many
fans may be interested to know that she met her
husband, actor Bruce (Re-Animator) Abbott,
while they were working on this film together.
Abbott plays the bad guy in T.A.G.

Bruce Sawyer

3923 Addicks Clodine

Houston, TX 77082

Oops! Our apologies to Good Housekeeping.
Hamilton also recently talked with TV Guide.

Other corrections: Writer Jean Airey reports
that Colin Baker played Bluebeard, not
Blackbeard as colorfully announced in
STARLOG #132.

There are two errors, as noted by writer Bob
Miller, in his Ewoks/Droids episode guide
published in STARLOG YEARBOOK #3.
Episode #7 is "The Pirates of Tarnoonga, " not
"The Princess of Tarnoonga. "And the villainess
is Jaydru the Enchantress, not Jaydu.

Missing credits seem to be the theme of
STARLOG SCIENCE-FICTION VIDEO
MAGAZINE tfl. Steve Swires' name was left off
the edition's masthead as a reviewer, despite his
numerous review contributions to the issue. And
Tim Lucas' byline was inadvertently missing from
two reviews — erroneously attributed to fellow
reviewer Dr. Cyclops instead. Lucas actually pen-
ned the reviews of the remakes of The Fly and
The Thing.

STARLOG regrets the errors.

MALPRACTICE

...In issue #134, you stated in Medialog that
Gates McFadden is also going to leave Star Trek:
The Next Generation. I don't see why Paramount
even let that be said to the media, especially since
their answer to the question "Why is she
leaving?" was "No comment." Why even print
that tidbit? Trek fans want to know why any of
the characters are leaving, not just the fact that
they are. As a recent fan of Star Trek, (as of last
year), I am greatly disappointed.

Of the three original female characters, Gates
McFadden truly had the best part as Crusher.
Crusher had a growing romance with Picard, she
had a brilliant son, and her character was very
strong and didn't take no for an answer. To lose a
person like this is a mistake.

Andrea Demianczyk

8014 Pickett Lane

Clay, NY 13041

. . .Scenario: Dr. Beverly Crusher is relieved of
her duties on board the starship Enterprise in an
episode entitled "The Big Mistake." The Enter-
prise's shields are weakened as great numbers of
female SF fans (and many male renegades also)
desert the Federation in search of stories like
ALIEN and Terminator in which strong yet
unabrasive female characters are considered too
important to be eliminated or replaced (even by
other females).

Just before L.A.R. (Loss of Advertiser
Revenue) torpedoes can completely cripple the
Enterprise, top Federation officers detect and cor-

rect the computer malfunction that had made the
reassignment (casting) error. Chief Medical Of-
ficer Crusher is reinstated on board the Enterprise
in an episode entitled "We Live and Learn" or
"What's Up, Doc?"

The Enterprise sails on through an enlightened
universe.

Deborah A. Schroeder

871 Crescent Lane

Hartland, WI 53029

. . . Why is the doctor on the Bridge all the time?
She should be in Sick Bay like any good doctor
would be. In the original series, I got the impres-
sion Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) was on the
Bridge because he was a friend and companion to
the captain as well as being the ship's
psychologist. But Counselor Troi is the ship's
psychologist now and on the Bridge. Dr. Beverly
Crusher (Gates McFadden) should be Captain
Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) "close
friend" and "companion," but not with a perma-
nent seat on the Bridge. She has a much larger
department to run, unlike Dr. McCoy, with
women and children to take care of. She should
visit the Bridge when needed or on occasion to say
"hello" to the captain.

And where did they get the actress who plays
Beverly? Gates McFadden is pretty and slim but
she's over-acting. Well, not over-acting, but over-
dramatizing every line she says. I know she has
lots of experience but isn't that with the stage?
She must realize acting on the stage is different
than acting on the small screen.

Judi Prasinos

Address Withheld

. . .In Medialog in STARLOG #134, there was
something that surprised me. STARLOG claims
that "according to Denise Crosby, who left the
series in the spring, and Marina Sirtis, the series'
female regulars have been, in general, not totally
pleased with their roles." From everything else I
read, Star Trek: The Next Generation's cast
seems, for the most part, satisfied. Gates McFad-
den has stated, "All the roles for women on the
show are good ones. One thing is certain, the
women of The Next Generation are not being
dismissed as token characters who just look good
in a jumpsuit. Their roles are very real and very
substantial."

Marina Sirtis echoes her words, "Whenever 1
wonder 'When am I going to do something dif-
ferent?', they hit me with something new so it
doesn't actually get boring." Granted, Crosby
and McFadden left. But until we find out why
McFadden left, don't jump to conclusions and
say it is because she was not satisfied with her
part. She could have been fired (a mistake) or a
money dispute. Crosby was displeased, but that
doesn't mean that everyone else was, too.

Brian Thomas

Ansonia, CT

Thanks for your comment, but we stand by our
report (i.e. that they were "in general, not totally
pleased with their roles"). Those words were
carefully chosen. We never jumped to the conclu-
sion that McFadden left due to that reason. As we
have reported, leaving the show was not her idea.

... In response to Angele Egarhos' letter in the
October issue of STARLOG, one point she
brought up was the cancellation of Beverly

6 STARLOG/MarcA 1989

Crusher from The Next Generation. I, too, am
greatly disappointed to hear that there will be no
more Beverly Crusher on the Enterprise. Among
other things, I will miss the smile that she brought
to the Bridge, as few others would (sure, Wes did,
but that's a smile of the ridiculous). I'll also miss
her general personality, that glow that seemed to
surround her wherever she went. She had a kind
word for just about anybody, yet was still the
strongest of wills on the Enterprise. (Why can't
we have doctors like this in the 20th century?)

However, I fail to see where Egarhos got this
mound of bull that Gates McFadden herself chose
to leave the show. That is absolutely false. Here
now for the record, is a quote from a letter I
received from Paramount. It says "the staff
decided to try a different characterization for our
ship's doctor." The staff, not McFadden, decided
to cancel Beverly Crusher. I wonder when the
TNG staff will figure out that fans really don't
like having their favorite characters cancelled. If
this continues, they might as well scrap the whole
show.

Travis Scott

2202 So. 65th Street

West Allis, WI

... I was shocked by Gene Roddenberry's deci-
sion to write the character of Dr. Beverly Crusher
out of ST:TNG\ She was one of the best
characters in the series. If anything, the character
needed to be developed and expanded, not
eliminated. There was unlimited potential for
strong personal relationships to develop between
her and other crew members, not the least of
which was Captain Picard.

I would not want this show to turn into a
".Dwos/y-in-space," but the one thing that has

made it different from the original Star Trek is its
careful development of each character into a
three-dimensional person with human weaknesses
as well as strengths. Each character has a past
which affects who they are in the present. This is
something that was not really explored in the
original series.

The reason that Dr. Crusher was written out of
the series was, according to Roddenberry, that the
character was not developing the way he had
planned. That is an ambiguous statement. He said
it was his decision alone and that the decision was
irrevocable. He is the show's creator and I've been
pleased with most everything else he has done
concerning this show, but I take exception to this
decision.

I don't know what Roddenberry is looking for
here, but if you ask me, it should be a change in
writing to mold Dr. Crusher into what he wants
and not a complete change in character. Personal-
ly, I think she was fine the way she was, with the
exception that she needed to lighten up a little and
not be quite so reserved.

K.L. Eagles

Address Withheld

. . . With the departures of Denise Crosby, Gates
McFadden, and now, senior consulting illustrator
Andrew Probert and others, the writing is
definitely on the wall! The only question is just
when will Gene Roddenberry wake up and realize ,
that his precious Star Trek: The Next Generation j
is in danger of becoming extinct, if it continues
its present course!

Finally, if there ever was the last word — or

in this particular case, artwork — about women

who are merely treated as second-class glorified

(continued on page 70)

^%HE REAL FZEASON &ATES
^ F M e FADD£A/ LEFT STAR. TREK..

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MEDIALOGf

No, this isn't what Gotham City crime
bosses are wearing these days— it's Jack
Palance acting just as villainous against
Buck Rogers.

HAILS & FAREWELLS

Once again, it's goodbye to an alien.
Something Is Out There was cancelled
by NBC at presstime. Just what went wrong
with this SF-TV series is explored on page
34. The network's Jim Henson Hour was
targeted as the new Friday 8 p.m. program,
slated to premiere January 13. This new
Henson anthology will include regular Mup-
pet schtick and variety acts introduced by
host Kermit the Frog alongside a bunch of
8 new Muppet faces (and comprising roughly

1 the first half-hour of each show). The se-
>. cond half will focus on fantasy, featuring

2 the type of genre-oriented Muppet creations
e seen in The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth as
i well as further installments of The
| Storyteller starring John Hurt (STARLOG
1 #93).

£ Updates: The latest Henson film, The

Z Witches, directed by Nicholas {The Man

& Who Fell to Earth) Roeg and based on

§■ Roald Dahl's book has suddenly been

y scheduled for release. It'll premiere in

I March. Anjelica {Captain EO) Huston stars.

e Also just added to theater schedules for

g> release next month is Leviathan. The

* MGM/UA entry in the underwater alien

| mini-trend, directed by George Pan

Cosmatos, stars Peter {RoboCop) Weller,

Amanda {Max Headroom) Pays, Richard

{Body Heat) Crenna and Ernie

{Ghost busters) Hudson.

Actually, despite last issue's report, Phil
Nibbelink has not yet signed a contract re:
An American Tail 2, so it's unclear whether
his official title will be directing animator or
something else.

The storyline apparently complete, Gates
McFadden is no longer on All My Children.
In late fall, she opened in a NYC production
of Emerald City.

According to Patrick Stewart, his major
missing scenes were all restored in the TV
version of Dune. In an interview
(STARLOG #139) conducted before he had
seen the re-edited TV Dune, Stewart said
that he hoped the scenes missing from the
film's final cut would one day be seen. (And
by the way, a caption in #139 to the con-
trary, those elfin aliens spell their name,
Bynar with a "y".)

It is known that Ridley Scott — who was
or wasn't going to direct it — has not signed a
contract for ALIEN III. Now, our sister
magazine FANGORIA reveals that the
directorial assignment on ALIEN ///will go
to Renny {Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4)
Harlin. One version of the script included a
brief cameo for Ripley (Sigourney Weaver)
and Newt (Carrie Henn), though those ac-
tresses have not yet signed to appear. This
draft, by SF author William Gibson, focuses
on both Hicks (Michael Biehn) and Bishop
(Lance Henriksen), although it's also
premature to assume that either actor would
reprise their roles or that those characters
would remain in the story throughout the in-
evitable script revisions.

Comics Scene: The Return of Swamp
Thing has finished filming. No release date
is yet set, though April is a possibility. In the
meantime, Lightyear Entertainment is
developing a Swamp Thing animated series
spin-off. Writer Linda Woolverton is work-
ing on the cartoon muck monster.

And Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
may yet get on the silver screen. The Marvel
Comics superspy, popularized by writer/ar-
tist Jim Steranko in the '60s, has long been
in the works as a live-action film. Lynn Obst
is producing. Greg Pruss has scripted. Now,
there's a director on board — Stephen Herek
(interviewed in STARLOG YEARBOOK
#3). At one time, Herek was signed to direct
The Shadow film. He has already helmed
two genre entries, Critters and Bill and Ted's
Excellent Adventure (the delayed fantasy,
comedy, now due out February 17).

Character Castings: Rick Moranis is back
hanging around the poltergeistologists for
Ghostbusters II (not yet officially known by
another title). He once again plays the nerdy
Louis. Moranis (interviewed in STARLOG
#86) will also be on hand this summer in
Disney's entry in the Innerspace
sweepstakes, backyard division, Hey,
Honey! I've Shrunk the Kids.

8 STARLOG/Mo/rA 1989

FILM FANTASY
CALENDAR

All dates are extremely subject to
change. Movies deemed especially ten-
tative are denoted by asterisks. Changes are
reported in Medialog "Updates."

February: The Fly II, 976-EVIL , Bill &
Ted's Excellent Adventure.

March: The Adventures of Baron Mun-
chausen, Fright Night 2, The Rescuers (re-
release), The Witches*, Leviathan.

Spring: Second Sight, Millennium,
Spider-Man*, The Return of Swamp
Thing*, The Wicked Stepmother, Martians,
Go Home, Babar.

May: Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade.

June: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

July: Batman, The Abyss.

Summer: The Last of the Ghostbusters* ,
Back to the Future II*, License Revoked,
Hey, Honey! I've Shrunk the Kids*, The
Punisher* , The Nightbreed* .

October: Friday the 13th, Part VIII*.

Winter: The Little Mermaid, Strat, Room
at the End of the Universe, Upworld* .

BEHIND-THE-SCENES AT THE SEMATARY

Denlse Crosby, late of Star Trek: The Next Generation, enjoys a quiet moment on the
set with co-star Dale Midkiff and stunt cat. Midkiff and Crosby star as the pro-
tagonists of the film version of Stephen King's grimmest novel, Pet Sematary. It's due
in theaters soon. For more behind-the-scenes info, see FANGORIA #81 (now on sale).

Catherine Mary Stewart (STARLOG
#116) is starring in the comedy Hot and
Cold. She gets involved with Andrew (Man-
nequin) McCarthy and Jonathan (Brighton
Beach Memoirs) Silverman, who play vaca-
tioning clerks trying to have a good time,

even though their boss (and weekend host)
has just been offed by a hitman.

Mary (Eating Raoul) Woronov
(STARLOG #102) co-stars with Richard
Dreyfuss in Let It Ride.

RoboCop's Kurtwood Smith

(STARLOG #129) teams with Robin
Williams in The Dead Poet's Society. Peter
(Witness) Weir is directing.

Believe it or not! Shane's Jack Palance

portrays a crime boss in Batman. Also in the

(continued on page 73)

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to Hell & Back with
Janet & Chris Morris

m

Taking "Active Measures" against encroaching formula fiction, the
authors book an "Outpassageltg the worlds of the possible.

By MICHAEL VANCE

evolution" is synonymous with both
science fiction and Janet Morris.
Just as science fiction forever
altered how man views his uneasy marriage
with machines, novelists Janet and Chris
Morris are trying to change the genre itself.
Janet's interest in science fiction began
with a copy of If magazine her father
bought for his "precocious child" when she
was seven years old. She had already read all
of the mythology in three libraries within
driving distance. But it was this voracious
interest that would lead to her successful
career as the author of a score of novels that
include Kill Ratio, Earth Dreams, The Little
He Iliad, Active Measures, MEDUSA and
After War. But, oddly enough, it was her
marriage to Chris Morris and their shared
love of music that first brought the novelist
into the spotlight.

"We were heavily involved in rock and
roll in the late '60s," says Janet, "and had a
record album when I was 19, with Chris."
"I did an album produced by Al Kooper
in 1978," notes Chris Morris, "and it was a
top album pick in Billboard. It was my
band, the Chris Morris Band. It was all my

Above: Janet & Chris
shared universes and
keep the gents fresh.

Homer's version of the devil rules In The Little Helliad as part of Heroes in Hell.
10 STARLOG/Marc/i 1989

1 Returning Creation, the first Slllstra
° volume, caused quite a commotion In the
< SF community due to its explicit depiction
of the heroine's sexual escapades.

material except for one Otis Redding song.
It was kind of R & B rock, and it did well
locally in Boston and played on seven
middle-of-the-road stations."

Although no single from this album
became a hit, and despite their success in
science fiction, the Morrises haven't aban-
doned music. They produce their own tapes
now at home on a 16-track recorder with a
mini-computer set-up. It is an interest,
however, that doesn't spill over into their
novels.

Their credo is to live, and then write.
Janet is deeply worried that writing just
from heavy reading becomes derivative and
weakens the genre she so passionately loves.
In fact, her realistic use of sex in her first
novel, about a prostitute's rise to power on
an alien world, shocked the science-fiction
community.

"The Silistra series was probably the first
to feature a prominent female heroine who
had real sex with people," grins Chris. "We
caught a lot of flak in the early days, '75 and
'76, for being dirty as hell."

"The sexual revolution hadn't hit the
science-fiction community, and then we
came in and blew it wide open," Janet adds.
"But being the first woman to write stuff
for its time, and looking the way I do, I had
some very unpleasant experiences. A
bookseller in Los Angeles said to me, 'Yes,
your books are doing well; these dirty little
hands come with their slimy dollars and
crawl over my counter.' My feelings were
hurt because I don't think those books were
in any way dirty. We were interested in
sociobiology at that time, and we were talk-
ing about what was hardwire in a post-
liberated society."

The question she addressed in the Silistra
series was what do you do if you're a very
powerful female in a relationship with a
man, and what new balances are struck?
The response she received, however, was a
request for three additional pages of erotic
passages for the French edition of the first
novel in that series.

Reaching for Heaven

Despite the commercial success of the
Silistra saga, Morris became so disen-
chanted with the science-fiction community
that she withdrew from it and let her novels
"speak for themselves." She had written the
trilogy without an agent and without a sure
sell because of the strength of her convic-
tions, a strength undiminished today.

"I want to make fiction modern because I
think the novel itself is in danger as a form.
It's still trying to be a 19th century art form
in the 20th century. In our novel, Out-
passage, we tried a very telegraphic and ab-
breviated approach. We're treating science-
fiction themes as if they were current. We're
not over-informing, and we're trying to do
very fast character introductions, very
strong character development."

The Morrises' dedication to research and
to stretching the boundaries of science fic-
tion has often blurred genre definitions. In
fact, The 40 Minute War, Warlord and Ac-
tive Measures were reviewed as mainstream

"There is nothing harder in the world than

maintaining your integrity in shared

universes," notes Janet Morris of her

travels through such places.

fiction to the dismay of image conscious
publishers.

"We wanted to do a realistic novel about
what might happen [after a nuclear
holocaust]," says Janet of The 40 Minute
War. "Oftimes, we want to counteract the
stereotypes or inject information as an in-
noculation so that people aren't
manipulated. The problem with a nuclear
war isn't that everyone is going to die, but
that most people are going to live. Warlord
was drawn from actual time tables that
various governments have — by what date do
they plan to have permanent settlements on
the Moon, how do you want to set this up
and really get the materials, etc. And I
thought, 'Well, OK, given this and given the
current course of events, what would hap-
pen politically in a situation like that?'

"Chris and I do write other things," she
admits. "We have a male pseudonym that
makes a lot of money. He writes
mainstream political thrillers that are even
more hard-edged than what we do for
science fiction. SF, by its very nature, is
positive because it does believe there will be
a future. You can't write a book about the
end of everything very many times."

Both Janet and Chris Morris believe that
the movies have been a double-edged sword
when it comes to the genre. "We feel that
the movie Star Wars," she says, "although
it was a fine movie, has brought many peo-
ple into the field who will write anything for
money, and have looked at 10 science-
fiction books and derived a formula. And
they're writing, in essence, garbage. Science
fiction was the last place where you didn't
have to write formula, where you could do
experimental fiction. And that's what we
want to do.

"Movies often have a problem with story,
and if the story isn't good, I'm not going to
enjoy it no matter how good the effects are.
And, right now, we're in a period where
there are all these wonderful effects, and
they're leaning a little heavily on the effects
and going very light on the characters."

Consequently, "We're writing a movie,
and we have a producer," she reveals. "And
I like it so much that I'm gong to write a
novel as well from the premise. It's on
psychic warfare, psychotronics. I also really
think that I would love to do a TV series.
My agent tells me I have to do a two-hour
pilot. It's an entirely different audience; it's
not the reading audience. We don't like to
see people manipulated, and we can't reach
people who don't read books. Therefore, we
have to reach them another way."

In Beyond the Veil, Dream Dancers and
Cruiser Dreams, as in all her work, Janet
Morris' characters are sharply defined and

Tempus and Nlko return to face a

warlock's wrath In City at the Edge of

Time as Janet and Chris Morris also head

for new frontiers.

The authors have chosen not to pigeonhole
from the sensual Slllstra saga to the grittier

have the same failings and ethical shortcom-
ings as their real, present-day counterparts,
her readers. Does she believe we will ever
evolve morally as well as technically in the
future? "If you think that we're behaving as
ethically as my characters, I would be really
pleased. I think that we can't becpme dif-
ferent than we are. We're always going to
behave in a chain, and some of us are always
going to be better than others. But this par-
ticular society at this time has a great lack of
ethical structure. It may be a result of what
happened in the 1960s, and what the kids
were taught thereafter. The generation right
under us was told, 'Don't be a hippie.' They

MICHAEL VANCE, Oklahoma-based
writer, profiled C.J. Cherry h in STARLOG
#133-134. He is currently writing Straw
Men, a graphic novel on genetic engineering
for Renegade Press.

themselves within the genre by going
backdrop of MEDUSA (inset).

were taught to act in a different way because
those who were doing it were very afraid of
the way we were behaving."

Nor does Janet believe that mishandled
technology will eventually destroy its
masters. "No one is going to dirty his own
nest. There's no place for the perpetrators to
stand while they destroy the rest of humani-
ty! If they want to destroy their enemies in
order to acquire what their enemies have,
there has to be something left!"

She illustrates this belief with the fact that
the fireballs of the 15th century were con-
sidered a doomsday weapon in their time
and were thought to surely usher in the end
of the world. "And when you got the
Bubonic Plague-infested rat and chucked
that over the other guy's wall, that was real-
ly bad. Biological warfare. We survived all
of that.

"I have this narrow specialty in history,

and I'm pretty strong back to 3500 B.C.
What I see is a tremendous amount of
similarity. There's not a great deal of dif-
ference in the way we handle ourselves in
reactions to danger, in fight and flight, in
our reactions to being controlled and con-
trolling others now than existed then. I
would like to see us becoming better at being
human. Actually, Outpassage is about that.
But that involves a certain degree of in-
trospection that only a novel can bring
unless we are going to teach ethics. And if
we're not going to teach ethics, who's going
to teach them in this society?"

Some of her best known works are set
within the shared universes of Heroes in Hell
and Thieves' World. She attributes the con-
cept of shared universes to Robert Asprin,
although several literary groups in the Soviet
Union have written under the same formula.
"I doubt that they [the Soviet writers] ad-
ded to the literary derivation that was pitch-
ed to me by Bob," she laughs, "which was a
town that was the armpit of the universe
where Conan could walk around a corner
and run into Elric. I've been through four of
them, and there is nothing harder in the
world than maintaining your integrity in
shared universes. Everyone is free to blow
the other guy out of the water with the best
possible story, and yet advance the plot."

For her own shared universe series,
Heroes in Hell, which co-creator C.J. Cher-
ryh described in STARLOG #133 and 134,
she has developed a Satan who is not a sim-
ple black and white. devil.

"I had to do a paper on Dante's Inferno

in college, so I read it. I mean, I really read

it. I'm not sure if it's all that different in

relation to its culture as this hell is to ours. I

I think that they relate, but our devil is the

5 devil who was cast out of heaven and really

« wants to go back. We are always seeing that

~~ devil through the eyes of someone, so

Homer's vision of the devil is much more

•5 devilish than Nichol's or Welch's or one of

3j the modern characters, and Satan will

J change with them.

'The Hell series was meant to allow more
freedom, to avoid the problems I had in
Thieves' World between the writers by hav-
ing a broader frame, and to teach some
history where I think history is not being
taught. Every culture from the beginning of
time that I've studied which left a written
record has posited a heaven and hell, so
there is something very deep about it."

Alexander the Great and Caesar will
return soon in a new Hell novel. A new
novel titled City at the Edge of Time, featur-
ing Tempus, her Thieves' World hero, and
Target, a sequel to Kill Ratio, are also on the
way. But whatever the future holds for the
novelist who believes that "self-discovery
does not happen in a velvet box," it is cer-
tain that Janet Morris will continue breaking
new barriers in the ongoing revolution of
science fiction.

"I want to get science fiction back to
what it was when I was young," she states,
"which was a literature of possible futures,
not a literature of impossible futures. Im-
possible futures are boring." &

12 STARLOG/Marc/i 1989

•*sS-

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Order While

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Last!!!

David Jackson

Fallen Freedom Fighter

The Federation wanted his hide, but all this
gentle giant ever asked for was a few more

lines.

By JEAN AIREY & LAURIE HALDEMAN

ow can a man who stands 6'3" and
weighs some 200 pounds be over-
looked? David Jackson, who
played the part of the gentle giant Gan on
Blake's 7, knows the answer. "In one of the
first readings we had, 1 said, 'The trouble
with strong, silent characters in television
terms is that unless you're the star or having
something written into the script for you to
do, the camera's going to go to the person
speaking.' " Unfortunately, Gan was
doomed to be the strong, silent type.

Settling his imposing figure more comfor-
tably into the sofa in a London hotel lobby,
Jackson adds in a soft, melodious voice,
"They [TV directors] don't go very much
for reaction shots. They haven't the time or
the space; they have to go for the action."

He should know. For one-and-a-half
seasons, from 1978 to 1979, he played the
part of a man destined to remain in the
background, a role limited from its concep-
tion. "I think of Gan as the equivalent of
the ordinary fellow, somebody who's able to
drive a car or ride a bicycle or change a fuse,
but if the television went off, he would have
to call in an engineer."

But Gan wasn't just a normal human who
was as slow to anger as to understand com-
plex things; he had been surgically altered by
having an electronic device implanted in the
top of his skull and wired to his brain.
Whenever he would try to attack or kill, the
"limiter" sent an electric shock into his ner-
vous system, incapacitating him.

Jackson felt confined even before the
show got on the air as he tried to add that
something extra to help his character. "I
said from the beginning that unless the
limiter was removed, Gan was a liability
because he didn't have any special skills.
You didn't need somebody with super
strength to break open the door when you
had a laser gun to do it for you. He wasn't
able to contribute anything. He more or less
had to stay in the back row, watching what
was going on. So I said, unless you could
remove the limiter to give him some func-
tion, all you could do would be to make him
into a sort of 'Bones' from Star Trek. At
least, he would be able to use the [ship's]
healing devices."

Undaunted by his own analysis, Jackson
promptly filled in a background for Gan
from the sketchy notes given in the first
scripts. "With a pilot, you've got these
characters who could be anything, go
anywhere. They're introduced, you know
what they look like, how they sound, how
they relate to each other, but you don't
know about them. You don't quite know
how the characters are going to turn out.
You fill in information given, turn on the
computers and say, 'How is this character
going to develop or behave?' You feed in
raw information and extrapolate what you
think might happen to him. You sketch in
the subtext background. I fill in the

Despite his station on the Liberator, "Gan
never had a function," Jackson notes. "If
you have an electronic society, you don't
need a Neanderthal."

STARLOG/March 1989 15

character's background in every role.

"I met an awful lot of Americans in the
'60s and early '70s here in England; it was
the end of the hippy wave, the flower-power
thing, and they were all looking for
something. They were interested in the
Tarot, the I-Ching, astrology, palmistry and
many other things. When it came to the
character of Gan, I thought of his
wife — there was a wife and two children in
the original text [changed to his "woman"
when the series aired], who were killed by
the guards [Federation troopers]. She could

ficult to write for you.' So, Vere Lorimer
[semi-regular director throughout the first
three seasons and fourth season
producer] — the man doesn't get enough
credit, he really worked his socks off — put
in a fight scene, something for me to do to
be there. I'm very grateful to Vere because
when I didn't have very much to do, he
would find something for me."

Still, the writing was on the wall, if not in
the scripts, and something had to give. Go-
ing into the second season, it was common
knowledge that one character would have to

Jackson notes that he, Michael Keating, Jan Chappell, Gareth Thomas, Sally Knyvette
and Paul Darrow "were very solicitous of each other's welfare."

have been one of those people who went in-
to alternative philosophies, possibly even
magic and mysticism. Therefore, the State
had clamped down on this and the people
who went along to carry out the rules — to
smash up her Tarot deck and throw away
whatever weeds she was growing in the
garden — they might have 'gone over the
top' and pressed the wrong trigger. You
don't have to make the troopers into ab-
solute monsters, but they could kill."

Lost in the Shuffle

With his newly formed background firm-
ly in mind, Jackson started to try to make
his "strong, silent" character more than just
a foil for the others. It wasn't easy. "In one
of the episodes, we had a read-through and I
said, 'I've got five lines in this. What can I
do with five lines?' It was a Chris Boucher
episode [Boucher was the series' Script
Editor for all four years of Blake's 7 and
also wrote occasional episodes]. Boucher
said, 'I find it very difficult to write for Gan.
I find it easier to write for Paul [Darrow,
STARLOG #116] and Jan Chappell's
[STARLOG #126] characters. It's very dif-

JEANAIREY & LA URIE HALDEMAN,
veteran STARLOG correspondents, are
the authors o/Travel without the TARDIS
(Target, $3.25). They profiled Brian
Croucher in STARLOG #138.

go, the only question being "Who?"
Michael Keating (STARLOG #118) thought
it might be him. A rather rueful grin breaks
over Jackson's face at that thought.

"Well, Vila at least could open locks and
things, while Gan never had a function," he
remarks. "If you have a character who had
an epileptic fit every time he tried to kill
somebody, I mean, it's got to be very dif-
ficult. What are they going to give him to
do? Mind the store while they go out and
rustle the cattle? What can he do? If you
have an electronic society, you don't need a
Neanderthal."

Jackson and the other cast members had
no time to immerse themselves in gloom
wondering about their careers. "It was a
very close time, it was literally a seven-day
week, calling each other and discussing
things. We really did work very hard."

Not only was the schedule grueling, but
location shooting and special effects were
difficult, to say the least. In Jackson's final
episode, the four male leads had to run
across a booby-trapped field to get to the
Federation's central computer nexus. To
simulate the supposedly electrically-charged
surveillance/repellent perimeter, the special
FX people had planted small charges that
they planned to set off as the actors ran
past. Jackson remembers the scene vividly.
When informed of the "small" changes, he
and Gareth Thomas (STARLOG #139),

Darrow and Keating, approached the special
FX man.

"We said, 'How much of a charge?' And
he said, 'Just a little bit of Fuller's Earth.' I
said, 'Well, could we possibly see one going
off?' He said, 'Oh, yes, yes!' We said,
'Could we actually have someone on top?'
So, they put a dummy on top with metal
running through it, a skeleton of metal, on
top of a charge just to see what would hap-
pen. The charge went off and this body
went up in the air about three feet and it
went — " he makes a horrible, shattering
noise and twists his hands, indicating the
dummy's dreadful demise, " — Nasty!
Broken robot!

"I said, 'What do you think, Paul?
You've got to run through more of it than
we have, what do you think?' And he said,
'Well ... I think we should, err, have less ex-
plosive!' 'Oh, well,' " Jackson mimics the
FX man's reluctant agreement, " 'if you
want . . . ' Paul still had double the running
that we had. I dashed through it with Mike,
but Paul had a slightly different route. He
had to go through it like a bat out of hell!"

Even some nine years later, he still finds
some of the show's writing puzzling. "They
never psychologically worked out the rela-
tionships between Avon and Gan," Jackson
comments. "You see, being the sort of per-
son he was, Avon was always making snide
remarks about Vila or Gan. It was wrong
that at some point, somebody didn't say [to
Avon], 'Watch it. One more like that and
I'll knock your block off.' If you say that
Gan has a lot of strength and can take a
tremendous amount of punishment, the
point finally comes at which — he's not going
to kill that person thanks to the epileptic
fit — but he might have to strike out. And
Vila, too. If you keep trampling on him,
well, he started out as a kind of space rat,
didn't he? He would put a shiv in you to get
his own back, to defend himself. You've got
to try and make sense of the character."

He also found some differences between
the first and second seasons. "You start out
with the various backgrounds and after a
while, you can take away the dross. What
we were trying to do was, I think, show
Gan's dark side and both the dark and
bright sides to Paul's character. When
you're actually in a situation of life and
death, you're all soldiers together. You
forget someone has smelly feet or that
somebody wears their hair too long. It's all
dross, all rubbish. You get the essentials. I
think that's what we were aiming for at the
beginning. We actually tried to set out to
make something 'different.' "

A Pace in the Crowd

Shortly into the second season, Jackson
got the bad news. Gan was going to be the
first casualty of the original seven. His
friend Brian (Flash Gordon) Blessed, well
known for his "over-the-top, scenery-
chewing" style of acting, advised Jackson to
"milk it for all it was worth!" But that op-
portunity turned out to be somewhat
limited. "We were doing it in dress rehear-
sal, and some people came in to look at us.

16 STARLOG/Mo/r/; 1989

We all tried to 'act' a little — you know, run-
ning along corridors and whatever. I was
wearing sneakers and I did a slide and a fall
or something when I was coming down the
hall and I pulled the muscles in my ankle.
Then, we went into the studios the next day.
I was all strapped up and in agony with my
ankle twice its normal size. I had to do all
the swinging along the bars and traveling up
the ladders and things with my ankle bound
up really tightly— in a horse bandage. And
after all that, I had to do my death scene at
the end of the day in about three minutes!"

His involvement with science fiction con-
siderably preceded Blake's 7, first with a
love of the "classic" written SF of the '50s
and '60s ("I've read it all!") and then with
appearances in two episodes of Space: 1999.

Cast as an alien in "The Rules of Luton,"
he immediately started to change and
modify his character. "They had this outfit
for me which looked like a teddy bear— and
I had this big fight scene. I said, 'It doesn't
look very menacing. I mean, a teddy
bearV " I said, 'You've got this one alien
who looks like a bird, like Osiris the god,
and this other character. Why not make him
the teddy bear, because he gets killed very
quickly, and I could be ... a lizard ! ' So, they
got a lizard half-mask for me, long, green
and scaly, a long droopy moustache, long
sort of patchy dark hair and," he speaks
with relish, "lots of black leather and
crocodile skin! I was given the power of
speech by the gods of the planet, whom I
also played."

In talking to the director, Jackson also
came up with another bit of business. "I
said, 'If the gods of the planet gave me this
voice, I would still have vocal cords that
were tuned to whatever a crocodile-like
beast's might be tuned to, and it would be
rather like a person from Japan trying to
speak English.

"So," he continues- in his normal, smooth
voice, "the words should come out in a sort
of strangulation, trying to get through those
strange vocal cords. And I played it like
that."

He was told he had done such a good job
of disguising himself and his voice that the
producers wanted him to come back and
play another alien some months later in
"The Bringers of Wonder." When Jackson
showed up, his costume had been changed
and he was able to do his entire part from
off-screen. "They gave me the script, and I
didn't even have to memorize it!" He was
told, " 'Your character is actually a seven-
foot tent with blood vessels and eyes on the
outside of it and it can grow up to nine
feet.' " Faced with that bit of information,
Jackson was more than happy to leave the
actual manipulation of the creature to
another. "They had a fellow about my size
inside, dressed in a swim suit, sweating like
anything, manipulating this [thing that was]
more like a teepee than a pyramid. It kept
going up and down and sweating blood and
I was just off-stage in a T-shirt and trousers.
It was fun!"

He faced the usual problem with
typecasting offers following his Blake's 7

Although Gan (Jackson) was always eager
to help crush the Federation, there just
wasn't much that Blake (Qareth Thomas)
or the writers could find for him to do.

"death," being offered a number of roles
which he describes as "Victorian Gan," but
Jackson determined not to let himself fall
into any one mold. He has appeared in the
films Killer's Moon, Breakout and The
Message, in several British TV series, the
mini-series The Manions of America — in
which most of his scenes (including one
where he wrestles with star Pierce Brosnan)
ended up on the cutting room floor — and
many stage appearances, the latest of which
was the London production of Phantom of
the Opera (STARLOG #139). In between
these events, he delights in researching the
history of the British music hall and writing
and presenting one-man music hall shows.

Although David Jackson left Blake's 7 in |
1979, he is amazed at the longevity that the =
series has assumed. It also astonishes him 7
that people still want to see him, and he has J
difficulty understanding why anyone would °-
want his autograph. "It's very nice to be
remembered," he admits, "but it was such a
long time ago and I've done so much since."

David Jackson may have been able to
work out Qan's past, but even he couldn't
see any future for the character.

STARLOG/M<wc/i 1989 17

FAN NETWORK f

Compiled & Edited by Eddie Berganza

The Fan Network invites contributions
from readers: photos, cartoons, convention
and fanzine reports and news about fan organiza-
tions and activities. No fiction or poetry. Nothing
can be returned unless accompanied by a self-
addressed, stamped envelope. Address all corres-
pondence to: Eddie Berganza, STARLOG Fan
Network, 475 Park Avenue South, New York,
NY 10016.

History repeated itself at last year's May
Starman Celebration in Ohio, when the
fans alongside Patrick Culliton (in brown
jacket) relived their first action together, a
ceremonial balloon release.

movement's first group action in Redondo
Beach, CA (Fan Net, STARLOG #126).
Receiving the first "Spotlight Starman Fan
Extraordinaire Award," Culliton was
recognized for his "dedication to the spirit
and values of Starman."

"I love these people," Culliton announc-
ed. "And I love these celebrations." The
Ohio con proved to be the largest single
Starman event in 1988, but was far from the
only activity of Spotlight Starman.

Originally organized as a letter-writing
campaign to pressure ABC into renewing
the cancelled series, this group has become
an extremely active fandom. It continues to
write letters for the show's return, but is
now channeling much of its energy into
creative and charitable pursuits.

Blue Lights, its monthly newsletterzine,
won awards at last year's Media-West Con,
and there's a growing body of Starman fic-
tion, artwork, poetry and special publica-
tions, such as a 174-page cookbook and a
1989 wall calendar.

Numerous "celebrations" — large and
small — have found new enthusiasts while
benefitting causes highlighted by Starman
episodes: The Midwestern convention
donated $2,000 to the Cousteau Society,
and the first Starman Celebration (San
Diego, November 1987) raised $3,000 for

KEEPING THE SPOTLIGHT
ON "STARMAN"

Starman celebrations aren't like other
science-fiction conventions," remarked
Patrick Culliton (the show's Agent Wylie) in
Englewood, Ohio last May. "They're more
like family reunions." He spoke from ex-
perience, having attended all the major
gatherings of the now-international
Spotlight Starman campaign. Culliton was
the guest of honor at the Midwestern Star-
man Celebration, where representatives of
19 states and Canada drew together to
benefit endangered species while keeping
alive the spirit of a show cancelled after only
one season.

Culliton (profiled in STARLOG #133)
kept the entire weekend lively with his anec-
dotes, impressions and humor. Or) Satur-
day, he arranged a "speaker phone" call
with Robert Hays (STARLOG #131), Star-
man himself, who was unable to be in Ohio
due to his own fund-raising efforts in
Southern California on behalf of the Old
Globe Theatre and the Society for the
Preservation of Variety Arts.

The Ohio con's other events included a
wildlife awareness presentation by a State
Park naturalist, an auction of Starman art-
work and memorabilia, the traditional
group photo, and the release of hundreds of
blue and silver balloons bearing hopes for
the show's return — recalling the

Patrick Culliton replaced the professional auctioneers at the May con to bid away the
double script "Starscape I & II" donated by Joshua Bryant (who played Jenny
Hayden's brother Wayne Geffner in the episodes).

18 STARLOG/Marc/i 1989

Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA).

As Spotlight Starman continues to grow,
members of its family are getting to know
each other better by sharing their personal
news in the Best Buddies newsletter. A
meditation and dream study group has
formed and also distributes a newsletter,
Focus. A catalog of fan-produced merchan-
dise ("Good Things from the Starman
Universe") is also available.

Nearing its second printing, the cookbook
features 23 illustrations and 218 recipes from
"the stars, fans and friends of Starman."
The proceeds benefit LVA as well.

October, designated as International Star-
man month, was an especially busy
time— kicked off by a mass mailing of
"Dear Network" postcards to ABC ex-
ecutives. Produced by Teresa Edwards,
these blue cards parodied the brown "Dear
Viewer" dispatches sent to placate letter
writers after Starman's cancellation. Using
the actual wording and typeface of ABC's
message, the "Dear Network" used gentle
humor to inform ABC the campaign was
still alive even if the network had given up its
option without reviving Starman.

The Spotlight Starman logo (created by
Sandra L. Smith) became the official
postmark of the 1988 SPARPEX Philatelic
Exhibition in South Carolina, thanks to the
efforts of Larry Vincent. And it was used to
cancel a large number of those "Dear Net-
work" postcards.

October also saw many local gatherings
across the U.S. and Canada and in the
foreign chapters (New Zealand met in
November), and October 22 was recognized
as International Starman Day.

In' November, the unique 1989 Spotlight
Starman wall calendar was published. In ad-
dition to its 13 full-page original drawings
and the usual holidays, it notes the dates of
campaigns, filming events and the birthdays
of more than 350 people who appreciate
Starman (cast, crew, campaigners and
others). The calendar includes a mini-
episode guide and a trivia challenge, and its
sales benefit the Peregrine Fund, an en-v
dangered species recovery program featured
in the "Peregrine" episode.

And how will this grassroots organization
"keep the Spotlight on Starman" in 1989?
By continuing its efforts to revive the show,
hoping to see the first season rerun to garner
new supporters. Spotlight Starman (national
headquarters: Box 273440, Houston, TX
77277-3440) is still seeking the thousands of
people who appreciated the show but don't
know there's a movement. There are no
dues or fees, and the unofficial motto is
"What you can, when you can."

The monthly Blue Lights (Christine
Menefee, editor: 600 Water St. SW #8-14,
Washington, DC 20024) will remain a cen-
tral news source. A new "Buddy" system
was recently established so people can
receive issues at reduced cost or for free.

Blue Lights also publishes numerous special
editions on a variety of Starman subjects,
notably its "creative works" fanzine series
Songs of the Sphere.

Other sW-Starman zines Endangered
Species (Portals Press) and Silver Spheres (J.
Stevenson) are available, and Out of an
Endless Night is in the making at Stranger
Press.

The next big event being planned is the
Sedona Starman Celebration on March
17-20. Participants will visit the Arizona
shooting locations for the "Starscape" I and
II episodes and journey to Meteor Crater,
Starman's departure point in the movie.

"Who knows what other new things
Spotlight Starman will dream up in 1989?"
asks Chris Menefee, one of the organiza-
tion's founders. She was also instrumental
in launching the successful Star Trek fan
movement to get the first space shuttle
named Enterprise. In looking back on that
campaign, Menefee remembers, "I thought
if Star Trek ever came back, it could never
match the level of imagination and quality
of what the fans were writing in fanzines.

"But the movies have been good because
the fans challenged the producers, and the
same thing is happening now with Starman.
We've gone way beyond the series. Since it
has been off the air, we've become the
creators of Starman and there's no limit in
sight."

— Vicki Hessel Werkley

/

I '

'We are in control. . ." j P4

HZH

THE SIXTH FINGER™ model kit

It's here! An all-new model kit from the classic TV

series. Made of easy-to-assemble soft vinyl, this 1/8

scale poseable figure stands over 9 inches tall. Includes

base, nameplate, vial and complete instructions. First in

a series of great monster kits from THE OUTER LIMITS™

To order, send check or money order payable to: Golden Era Models,
Inc., Dept. S, P.O. Box 347066, San Francisco, CA 94134-7066.

kit(s) at

$25.95 each $_

Postage & handling:

$3.50 for 1st kit

$2.50 each add'l kit $_

Foreign: Add $4 per kit . S_

California residents

add 6 1 /2% Sales Tax . . . .$_

TOTAL ENCLOSED $_

name
street
city _

state.

zip.

Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.
© 1988 Golden Era Models, Inc.

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CUT COUPON WE ACCEPT WRITTEN ORDERS.

QUERIES

Michael Radochia of Arlington, MA asks:
"In the movie Beetlejuice, why is the name
spelled 'Betelgeuse' instead?"

The name of the demon in Beetlejuice is
Betelgeuse. The studio decided to go with
the phonetic and more "icky and gross"
spelling of the name. That way, everyone
could pronounce it.

Have a question that you think STARLOG
could answer? Ask it on a postcard only and we
do our best. Mail to STARLOG Queries, 475
Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10016. Note: there
will be no personal replies.

Adrian Quinn of Newark, NJ asks: "Is it
possible to get the episodes to the series 'V
on videocassette? Also, I heard at a conven-
tion that they're trying to bring back the
series. Is this true?"

The series is not available on videocassette at
the moment. As for the show's return: well,
anything's possible, but don't hold your
breath.

CONVENTIONS SERCON 3

FEBRUARY

LIFE, THE
UNIVERSE &
EVERYTHING

February 1-4

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT

SF Symposium
3163 JKHB
Provo, UT 84602
Guest: David Brin

CONFABULA-
TION

February 3-5
Brown County Inn
Nashville, IN

Confabulation
P.O. Box 443
Bloomington, IN 47402-0443

TSARKON

February 3-5
Stratford House
Fenlon. MO

Tsarkon

1156 Remlev Court
Universitv City, MS 63130
(314) 725-6448

CONTINUITY

February 10-12

Holiday Inn Medical Center

Birmingham, AL

Continuity

P.O. Box 550302

Birmingham, AL 35255-0302

Guest: Andrew Offutt

VIKINCCON X

February 10-12

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA

Viking Con X Committee
WWU-VU202
Bellingham, WA 98225

CABIN FEVER
FAN PARTY

February 11

Ranch Mart Auditorium

Overland Park, KS

CFFP-3

c/o Starbase Kansas City

P.O. Box 8097

Prairie Village, KS 66208

(816) 923^4948

Benefits Kansas Special Olympics

DREAMWERKS

February 11-12

Scran ton Masonic Temple

Scranton, PA

Dreamwerks

P.O. Box 90

Millwood, NY 10546

(914)739-3191

Guests: Leonard Nimoy (Sat.

only), Mark Lenard (Sun. only)

February 17-20
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Louisville, KY
Sercon 3
P.O. Box 1332
Dayton, OH 45401
(513)236-0724
Guests: James Gunn
& Richard Powers

WIS CON 13

February 17-19
Holiday Inn Southeast
Madison, WI

Philip Kavenlv

c/o SF3

Box 1624

Madison, Wl 53701-1624

OMACON 8.5

February 18
Holiday Inn Central
Omaha, NE

Omacon 8.5
c/o Star Realm
7305 S. 85th Street
Omaha, NE 68128

CONTEMPLA-
TION

February 24-26
Ramada Inn
Jefferson Cily, MO
Contemplation
P.O. Box 7242
Columbia, MO 65215
(314)442-8135

FUTURE
SCIENCE /ONE

February 24-26
Lexington Hyatt
& Radisson Hotels
Lexington, KY

SEDS-FS/1
P.O. Box 979
University Station
Lexington, KY 40506-0025

CARNIVAL
CRUISE

February 26-March 5

"Jubilee"

Miami, FL

Cruise Designers

2441 North Tustin Avenue

Suite 1

Santa Ana, CA 92705

MARCH

BAYFILK 5

March 3-5

Oakland Airport Hyatt Hotel

Oakland, CA

Off Centaur Publications

P.O. Box 424

El Cerrito, CA 94530

(415) 528-3172

Guest: Joe Haldeman

DARK SHADOWS
FESTIVAL

March 3-5

LA Airport Marriott

Los Angeles, CA

Dark Shadows Festival

P.O. Box 92

Maplewood, N'J 07040

Guests: Jonathan Frid & members

of Dark Shadows cast & crew

TAMPA VULKON

March 4-5

Holiday Inn Ashley Plaza

Tampa, FL

Vulkon

P.O. Box 786

Hollywood, FL 33022

(305) 925-2539

Guests: Walter Koenig &

STARLOG's David McDonnell

FIRST IN-

TERCALACTIC

EXPO

March 10-12

Photon Entertainment Center

Chicago, IL

First Intergalactic Expo

P.O. Box 6198

Cherry Creek Station

Denver, CO 80206

(303) 293-2228

Guests: Colin Baker, Kevin Pollak

& Terry Nation

LUNACON '89

March 10-12

Westchester Marriott Hotel

Tarry town, NY

Lunacon '89

P.O. Box 338

New York, NY 10150-0338

Guests: Roger Zelazny, David Kyle

& David Hartwell

KOLLECTORAMA

March 10-12
Forum 303 Mall
Arlington, TX
Collector's Corner
Forum 303 Mall
Arlington, TX 76010
Metro 640-8576

MOC4

March 17-19
Hyatt Regency
Greenville, SC

Magnus Opus Con

4315 Pio Nono Avenue

Macon, GA 31206

Guests: Michael Dorn, Sylvester

McCoy, Larry Niven & Jerry

Pournelle

CONGENIAL

March 17-19

The Sheraton Racine

Racine, WI

Congenial

P.O. Box 129

Wilmette, IL 60091

COASTCON XII

March 17-19
P.O. Box 1423
Biloxi, MS 39533

MILLENNICON

March 17-19
Dayton Airport Inn
Dayton. OH

MillenniCon
P.O. Box 636
Dayton, OH 45405

SEDONA

STARMAN

CELEBRATION

March 17-21
Hotel TBA
Sedona, AZ

Sharon Ann Saunders
5150 W. Eugie Avenue
Apt. #2061
Glendale, AZ 85304

MINICON 24

March 24-26

STF

P.O. Box 8297

Lake Street Station

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Guests: Harry Harrison

& Fritz Leiber

BALTICON 23

March 24-26
Omni Hotel
Baltimore, MB

Balticon 23
P.O. Box 686
Baltimore, MD 21203
Guest: C.J. Cherryh

CONTRIVANCE

March 24-27

Hotel de France, St. Helier

Jersey, Channel Islands

Contrivance

63 Drake Road

Chessington, Surrey, U.K.

Guest: Anne McCaffrey

ACCIECON

March 30-April 2

MSC Cepheid Variable

P.O. Box J-l

College Station, TX 77802

STARFEST

March 31-April 2
Regency Hotel
Denver, CO

StarFest

P.O. Box 24937

Denver, CO 80224

Guest: Harve Bennett, STARLOG

Editor David McDonnell

PHOENIXCON

March 31-April 2

PhoenixCon 4.0
1579 Monroe Drive
Box F-2I8
Atlanta, GA 30324

l-CON 8

March 31-April 2

I-Con

P.O. Box 550

Stony Brook, NY 11790

Guests: Frederik Pohl, Joe

Haldeman, Nancy Kress &

Sylvester McCoy

ST. LOUIS FAN-
TASY FAN FAIR

March 31-April 2

The Brekenridge Frontenac Hotel

St. Louis. MO

St. Louis Fantasy Fan Fair

c/o Joyce Valli

1010 S. Waiola Avenue

La Grange, IL 60525

(312)354-0552

Guests: John Levene, Walter

Koenig & Janet Fielding

TECHNIC0N 6

March 31-April 2

Virginia Tech Campus

Blacksburg, VA

Technicon

P.O. Box 256

Blacksburg, VA 24063-0256

Guest: John M. Ford

APRIL

CONCATENNA-
TION

April 7-9
Quality Inn West
Knoxvilie, TN

ConcaTENNation
1028 Valley Avenue
Knoxvilie, TN 37920
(615) 579-3202

DREAMWERKS

April 9

Penn Harris Inn

Harrisburg, PA

Dreamwerks
P.O. Box 90
Millwood, NY 10546
(914) 739-3191

LEPRECON15

April 14-16

Phoenix Hyatt Regency

Phoenix, AZ

LepreCon 15
P.O. Box 26665
Tempe, AZ 85282
(602) 839-2543

GALACTIC
TREKFEST

April 21-23
Henry VIII Hotel
St. Louis. MO

Galactic Trekfest
640 White Street.
Belleville, IL 62221
(618) 233-2404 or 236-2494
Guests: Richard Hatch, Bill
Mumy & Merritt Butrick

20 STARLOG/Morc/i 1989

HAS ANYONE '
SEEN A\Y
COMB ?/

w i u^mwimavm^m T ^uiiimmwjmbum.

ACME 5P£C(AL EFFECTS Co.

yo, BOB .'

YOU CAN TRASH

THAT STARFOX

MODEL.' THEY

AMICOCON 4

April 21-23

Sunland Park Holidav Inn

El Paso. TX

Amigocon 4

P.O. Box 3177

El Paso, TX 79923

(915) 542-0443

Guests: Kelly Freas

& Melinda M. Snodgrass

DREAMWERKS

April 23
Sheraton Inn
Syracuse, NY
Dreamwerks
P.O. Box 90
Millwood, NY 10546
(914) 739-3191
Guests: John DeLancie
& William Campbell

ONCE UPON
A CON

April 28-30
Holiday Inn
Denver, CO

IFGS Once Upon A Con
P.O. Box 16436
Colorado Springs, CO 80935
Guest: Larry Niven

MARC0N XXIV

April 28-30

Radisson Hotel Columbus

Columbus, OH

Marcon XXIV

P.O. Box 211101

Columbus, OH 43220

(614)475-0158

MAY

R0C*K0N13

May 5-7

Royale Vista Inn

Hot Springs, AR

Roc*Kon 13

P.O. Box 45122

Little Rock, AR 72214

Guest: George R.R. Martin

CONVERT
CONTRAPTION

May 5-7

The Michigan Inn

Soulhfield. MI

Convert Contraption
1325 Kev West
Troy, MI 48084

ANGLICON II

May 5-7

Hyatl Seattle Hotel

Tacoma, WA

Anglicon

TLPO Box 8207

Kirkland, WA 98034-8207

X-C0N13

May 5-7

Milwaukee Marriott Hotel

Milwaukee. Wi

X-Con

P.O. Box 7

Milwaukee, Wl 53201-0007

Guest: Joan Vinge

MAY-DAY CON

May 6

Adelphi University Campus
Garden City, NY
May-Day Con
c/o Theresa DiMaria
1701 Jasmine Avenue
New Hyde Park, NY 11040

HORRORFEST '89

Mav 12-14

The Stanley Hotel

Estes Park, CO

Horrorfest

P.O. Box 277652

Riverdale, IL 60627-7652

(312) 841-6300 or (800) 798-2489

Guests: FX Artist Bryan Moore,

Doug Winter & Charles Grant

SEA TREK '89
CRUISE

May 12-15

Miami to Nassau

Yulkon

P.O. Box 786

Hollywood. FL 33022

Guests: 16 Trek stars & creators

Contact (800) 444-SHIP

V-CON 17

May 26-28

University of British Columbia

Vancouver. B.C. Canada

V-Con 17
P.O. Box 48478
Benlall Centre, Vancouver
B.C. Canada, V7X 1A2

STICCON III

May 18-21

San Marino, Italy

Slur Trek Italian Club
P.O. Box 63
10098 Rivoli, Italy

OASIS 2

May 19-21

Howard Johnsons

Orlando, FL

OASFiS

P.O. Box 616469

Orlando, FL 32861-6469

Guest: Mike Resnick

BEACH TREK 89

May 19-21

Holiday Inn Executive Center

Virginia Beach, VA

Beach Trek '89

c/o VISTA

P.O. Box 62854

Virginia Beach, VA 23462

Guests: Walter Koenig,

A.C. Crispin, Bjo Trimble

& Colleen Doran

GALAXY FAIR &
ART CON II

May 26-28

Hvatc Regencv DFW

Dallas Ft. Worth Airport, TX

Galaxy Fair

Dept. F2

P.O. Box 15047

Arlington, TX 76015-6471

(817)572-5547

Guests: George R.R. Martin,

Kelly Freas & Robert Asprin

COSTUME CON
SEVEN

May 26-29

Desmond-Americana Inn

Albany, NY

Costume Con Seven

P.O. Box 2323

Empire State Plaza Station

Albany, NY 12220

JUNE

AD ASTRA 9

June 9-11

The Constellation Hotel

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ad Astra 9

P.O. Box 7276

Station A

Toronto, Ontario M5W 1X9

Guests: John Varley &

STARLOG's Kerry O'Quinn

DEEP SOUTH
CON 27

June 9-11
Memphis Marriott
Memphis, TN

Deep South Con 27
1229 Pallwood
Memphis, TN 38122
Guests: Orson Scott Card
& C.J. Cherryh

MOBI-CON '89

June 9-11
Days Inn Hotel
Mobile, AL

Mobi-Con, Inc.
P.O. Box 161257
Mobile, AL 33616

VULKON
ORLANDO

June 17-18

Altamonte Springs Hilton

Orlando, FL

Vulkon

P.O. Box 786

Hollywood. FL 33022

(305) 925-2539

Guest: STARLOG Editor

David McDonnell

NEW ORLEANS
SF/ FANTASY
FESTIVAL

June 23-25

Pallas Suite Hotel

New Orleans. LA

NOSF3

Acme SF Corp.

P.O. Box 791089

New Orleans, LA 70179

(504) 436-2633 or

(504) 769-3766

Guests: George Alec Effinger,

George R.R. Martin & Ed Bryant

INCONJUNCTION
IX

June 30-July 1-2
Adams Mark Hotel
Indianapolis. I.N
Inconjunction
P.O. Box 19776
Indianapolis, IN 46219

POLARISCON

June 30-July 1-2

St. Paul Radisson

St. Paul, MN

Time, Space & Fantasy Inc.

P.O. Box 23619

Richfield. MN 55423

Guest: John Levene

WESTERCON 42

June 30-July 4
Anaheim Marriott
Anaheim, CA

SCIFI/Westercon 42
P.O. Box 8442
Van Nuys, CA 91409
Guest: John Varley

JULY

OKON 89

July 14-16
Camelot Hotel
Tulsa, OK

OKon '89

P.O. Box 4229

Tulsa, OK 74159

Guests: Robert Bloch, Steve Gould

& David Mattingly

CON-VERSION VI

July 21-23

Con-Version VI
P.O. Box 1088
Station M
Calgary, Alberta,
Canada T2P 2K9
Guest: Harry Harrison

ARCH0N13

July 21-23

Henry \ III Inn

St. Louis, MO

Archon 13

P.O. Box 50125

Clayton, MO 63015

Guests: David Brin. Kelly Freas

& Julius Schwartz

SPY CON 6

July 22-23
Holiday Inn
Itasca, IL
Darlene Kepner
234 Washo Drive
Lake Zurich, IL 60047

AUGUST

INTERCON '89

August 4-6

Oslo, Norway

Heidi Lyshol

Maridafsvn. 235 A

N-0467

Oslo, Norway

Guest: Samuel R. Deiany

OMACON IX

August 4-6
Holiday Inn Central
Omaha, NE
N.A.S.D.
P.O. Box 37851
Omaha, NE 68137

TORONTO TREK
CELEBRATION 3

August 11-13

Toronto Trek Celebration 3

P.O. Box 391

Station

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Guest: Vonda Mclntyre

SEPTEMBER

TIMELORD 89

September 22-24
University Ramada Inn
Columbus, OH
Time Lord '89
667 E. Church Street
Urbana, OH 43078

STARLOG's Birthday Fantasy, a
15-minute 16mm color film, is avail-
able for screening. Organizers, write
for details: STARLOG's Birthday
Funtusv, 475 Park Avenue South,
NYC 10016, or (England) contact
Pamela Barnes, c/o Fanderson,
P.O. Box 308, London W4 1DL.

Questions about cons listed?
Please send a self-addressed,
stamped envelope to the address list-
ed for the con. Conventioneers:
Send all pertinent info no later than
5 months prior to event to STAR-
LOG Con Calendar, 475 Park Ave.
South, NY, NY 10016. STARLOG
makes no guarantees, due to space
limitations, that your con Witt be
listed here. This is a free service: to
ensure a listing in STARLOG — not
here but elsewhere — contact Connie
Bartlett (212-689-2830) for classifed
ad rates & advertise there.

STARLOG/Marc/! 1989 21

racd

TWENTY-FIFTH

ANNIVERSARY

SPECIAL!!

THE DOCTOR'S 1989 CALENDAR

*%g&t&ji

^^fi

IN BEAUTIFUL FULL COLOR

Your cost $9.95 plus shipping and handling-
Total cost $11.50

This is the official Doctor Who 25th Anniversary
book, marking 25 years of BBC television's longest
running and most successful science fiction series.
From its very early beginnings as a 25-minute black-
and-white Saturday evening series, Doctor Who has
become a national institution and an international
success story. With over 110 million viewers in 60
countries, the program's popularity is almost
unparalleled in the history of entertainment.

More than 200 pages! Dozens of full color pictures!
Your cost $24.95 + $2.55 shipping and handling-
Total cost $27.50.

HERE NOW!
BLAKE'S 7

BLAKE'S 7: Their First Adventure
by Trevor Hoyle

Top British science-fiction author Trevor Hoyle has
written a gripping novel of deep space action,
adventure and intrigue. Exiled from Dome City—where j
a vicious regime wields dictatorial power-Roj Blake
swears vengeance on the corrupt leaders who have
destroyed his future. Hijacking the Liberator, the most
advanced spacecraft ever created, Blake travels to the
sinister planet Cygnus Alpha. There he rescues other
victims of the regime from the evil Vargas.. .And forms J
a fighting force to combat galactic injustice:
Blake's7! Price $3.95

PROJECT AVALON

by Trevor Hoyle

Alone against the might of the Federation, an army of
Androids-and PROJECT AVALON! From the arid
wastes of Amersat, Planet of the Dead, to the oceans of
acid on the planet Aristos. Roj Blake and his crew on
board the Liberator wage a deadly war against the
forces of galactic oppression Price $3.95

PROJfCT
• flVfllON

»TR£YOR«OYlf

'J-^

BLAKE'S SEVEN:
by Trevor Hoyle

SCORPIO ATTACK

The story: after the Atomic wars, there emerged from
the ensuing chaos a Dictatorship so powerful that it
engulfed the majority of Earth -populated worlds.
Known as the Federation, it grew in power until the
hard-won freedom of the people it ruled disappeared.
Blake himself began the sole resistance against the
might of the Federation. Now he is lost— perhaps
forever— but in his pioneering footsteps come his
gallant followers known as Blake's Seven. In their
new ship, the Scorpio, they carry on their heroic and
dangerous fight Price $3.50

BLAKE'S 7: AFTERLIFE

by Tony Attwood

Did Blake's death really mean the end of the fight
against the evil forces of the Federation? Was the
vulnerable thief Vila killed-or just wounded? What
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Starlog Press, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016

VIDEOLOGT

-POST-VALENTINE
VIDEOS

Tom Hanks stars as Josh Baskin, a youth
whose innocent wish to be a big guy (in
order to woo class beauty Cynthia Benson)
is granted at a New Jersey amusement park.
He wakes up the next morning suddenly
some 23 years older.

Confused and frightened at being thrust
unprepared into the adult world, he runs
away to New York City and takes up
residence in a sleazy Times Square hotel. At
first, he finds no advantage in being an
adult, but luckily lands a job with a toy
company and with his sudden salaried
riches, finds a loft which is soon filled with
big toys for the big kid Josh has become.
But life in the adult world involves some
emotional responsibilities which he hasn't
even begun to experience. A fellow exec
(Elizabeth Perkins) finds Josh extremely
refreshing and attractive, but is frustrated by
his inability to relate to her romantically.

Written and co-produced by Anne
Spielberg and Gary Ross, directed by Penny
Marshall (STARLOG #134), Big is
thoughtfully engrossing and cleverly
manages to avoid almost every cliche that
this simple fantasy would ordinarily
encounter. The scene with Hanks and
Robert Loggia (as the toy company head)
dancing on the giant piano keys at New
York's FAO Schwarz toy store is a classic.

Big is a CBS/Fox videocassette ($89.98).
It's closed captioned for the hearing
impaired in VHS HiFi stereo and Beta HiFi
stereo formats. It's available March 23.

If they're Big, this must be Valentine's Day. Elizabeth Perkins embraces Tom Hanks.

In A Fish Called Wanda, also from
CBS/Fox, a strangely assorted quartet of
thieves has just pulled off "The Big Jewel
Job" in London's Hatton Gardens. George,
played by Tom (Dr. Who) Georgeson is the
only member of the gang who knows where
the gems are hidden. Unfortunately, George
is now languishing as a prized guest in one
of Her Majesty's better known prisons. His
only hope of freedom is the silver-tongued
eloquence of his defense counsel, Archie
Leach, played by Monty Python's John
Cleese (STARLOG #137).

Of the other gang members, the hyperac-
tive Wanda, Jamie Lee Curtis (FANGORIA
#15) seems to be the most ambitious, seduc-
ing all three of her leading men for the
purest of motives — greed. Keeping perhaps
too close an eye on her is Otto West (Kevin
Kline), who hints that he's ex-CIA and, in-
deed, bristles with more lethal gadgetry than
a Swiss Army pen knife. It's hard to say
what Otto likes in life but one thing is cer-
tain — he doesn't like the English. Last but
not least is Ken Pile (Brazil's Michael Palin),
a devoted animal lover and would-be
assassin who can't help killing an old lady's
dogs one at a time. Not only that, he keeps
fish in a bowl and is particularly enamored
of one called Wanda.

Directed by Charles Crichton, who also
directed The Lavender Hill Mob and several
Space: 1999 episodes, and written by John
Cleese, A Fish Called Wanda is available
close-captioned and in VHS and Beta HiFi
stereo formats. Look for it in your local
store after February 23.

Early Cleese & Palin sketches can be
found in the latest three volumes of Monty
Python from Paramount Home Video,
$24.95 each. Volume 10, entitled Blood,
Devastation, Death, War, Horror & Other
Humorous Events, features "The Army

If one's A Fish Called Wanda, this must be
a Valentine's Day video. Jamie Lee Curtis
embraces John Cleese.

Recruitment Office," "Pantomime
Horses," "The Polite Hijacker," "Flying
Lessons," "The Post Ewan McTeagh" and
"Psychiatric Diaries." In Volume 11, Dirty
Vicars, Poofy Judges and Oscar Wilde,
too.', you can find "Taming Oscar Wilde,"
"The Blood Bank," "The Git Family,"
"Gay Magistrates," and of course, "The
Dirty Vicar." Volume 12, Kamikaze
Highlanders includes "The Legend of Den-
nis Moore (The Lupin Bandit)," "The Pre-
judice Game," "No Time To Lose," "Spot
the Looney," and, naturally, "Kamikaze
Highlanders."

Warner Home Video has digitally
remastered all four Superman movies in
Surround Stereo, added close-captioning,
and tagged the package at a very attractive
$19.98 per cassette (VHS and Beta). With
the reduction of last year's Superman IV:
The Quest for Peace to $19.98, this now
means that the entire Man of Steel quartet is
available to video collectors for under $80.
Also included in the special sale ($19.98
each) are two Tom Selleck adventures: High
Road to China and Lassiter.

The third video format — 8mm video — is
ideal for getting quickie videos of kids and
vacations but does not see much use for
home entertainment. Nevertheless, Volume
II of the Cinema 8 catalog with more than
200 pre-recorded 8mm video titles is now be-
ing distributed to the public by the 8mm
Video Council. The Council's objective is to
keep consumers and retailers up-to-date on
the latest advancements in the 8mm in-
dustry. A non-profit trade association, the
Council distributes information and
brochures on all its member companies and
literature on the 8mm industry, in addition
to the software catalogs. Those interested
can receive their catalog by calling the toll-
free 8mm Video Council Hotline at
1-800-VID-8MIL (nationwide) or
1-212-986-3978. The catalog is updated
quarterly.

— David Hutchison

ST AKLOG/ March 1989 23

Memories of
Metaluna

Decades after his return to "This island
Earth," the actor recalls the classic film.

By TOM WEAVER & MICHAEL BRUNAS

Sometimes, an actor can toil in
Hollywood for years without
achieving recognition, and some-
times, lasting fame can come from a single
production. Rex Reason appeared in a score
of '50s films, starred in two popular TV
series and guested on many more, but film
fans remember him first and foremost as the
staunch scientist-hero of 1955's This Island
Earth. Reason does not resent the instant
association, although he is quick to name
other films and TV appearances of which he
is equally proud. The husky 6'4" Reason
now makes his living through real estate, but
is happy to reminisce about his stint as both
Hollywood heavy and hero. Tanned, relax-
ed and affable, he settles into a favorite
chair in his Walnut, California home and

TOM WEA VER, veteran STARLOG cor-
respondent, profiled Phyllis Coates in issue
If 138-9. MICHAEL BRUNAS is a New
Jersey-based genre expert who has con-
tributed to Famous Monsters of Filmland.

basks in STARLOG-slanted memories of
his film career.

Reason was born on November 30, 1928,
in Berlin, Germany, while his family was in
Europe on a business trip. He grew up in
Los Angeles, but early on, his show business
aspirations were nil. "I was never truly in-
terested in the theater," the deep-voiced ac-
tor recalls. "It was my mother who had the
interest and who was hoping that her two
boys, my brother Rhodes [who also became
an actor, seen in King Kong vs. Godzilla]
and myself, would become interested."
Maternal influences notwithstanding, Rex
Reason's acting career grew partly out of an
inferiority complex that he developed during
his high school years. A 6'3" 15-year-old
with an adult's voice, he frequently found
himself a center of attention and became ex-
tremely self-conscious as a result. His
mother took him to a dramatic coach who,
in working with him, recognized his stage
and screen potential.

Apparently, acting was in the cards for

the teenage Reason. He transferred from
Hollywood High to Glendale's Hoover
High School, and on his first day there, the
school's dramatic coach spotted him in the
hall and told him, "You are the one I want
for the lead in my next play."

"The play happened to be Seventh
Heaven, which my mother was in love
with," Reason explains. "She knew the role
I was going to play, which was Chico; just
the kind of romantic, dramatic part she was
probably praying I would get ! She was very
happy — tearfully happy — and she took
hold of me and said, 'Rex, you're going to
do this play!' There were only two weeks to
prepare, and she drummed those lines into
my head, worked me until I was in bed, sick,
and even then she kept at it!"

At 17, Reason enlisted in the Army, and
used his time in uniform trying to figure out
what he wanted to do with his life. His
father's wish was that he become a civil
engineer, while his mother kept after him
about acting. After his discharge, he opted

24 STARLOG/Ma/rA 1989

for the latter, enrolling at the Pasadena
Playhouse. Tiring of acting studies after a
year-and-a-half, he moved on and became
involved in little theater. His big break came
when an agent spotted him in a stage pro-
duction of Monserrai and asked him if he
would like to try out for a movie.

Plight Over Himalayas

Fantasy film fans remember Rex Reason
exclusively for This Island Earth and The
Creature Walks Among Us, tending to
forget that his very first film, 1952's Storm
Over Tibet, also boasts mild supernatural
overtones. Top-billed Reason played an Air
Transport Command pilot who, in prepar-
ing to leave the service and return home
from the Himalayas, pilfers as a souvenir
the skull-mask of the Tibetan death god.
When his co-pilot, played by Myron Healey,
questions his right to steal the sacred sym-
bol, the two tussle, leaving Reason slightly
hurt while Healey takes over the flight only
to be killed in a crash. Reason becomes con-
vinced that Healey suffered the fate the
death god had ordained for him. "From
that point on, I did a search within my soul:
I went back home, I saw Healey's wife, so
on and so forth. In need of an answer, she
and I took a trek back to the Himalayas,
joined a UNESCO expedition and under-
took the search. I climbed the mountains,
got up to the top and challenged the Sinja
god, and in the end, I found my answer."

Directed by Andrew Marton, Storm Over
Tibet was largely built around stock footage
from a Himalaya-set feature that Marton
had directed 20 years before (some of this
stock had previously turned up in Colum-
bia's Lost Horizon). Reason's mountain-
climbing scenes were actually shot indoors,
on a huge stage in a rented studio on Los

"You could tell immediately that this was just a stuntman in a bug uniform, and that
took away from the picture," notes Reason of the film's creature climax.

Palmas in LA. "The snow in those scenes
was corn flakes, painted. And 1 remember
that when the wind machines started and
those corn flakes were flying and we had to
talk and react in the face of all that, that
these corn flakes got in our nostrils and got
stuckV Reason laughs. "It was very dif-
ficult to cope with that."

Reason also has fond memories of the
film's producer, the late Ivan (The Magnetic
Monster) Tors. "Ivan was quite interested in
animals at the time. In fact, he was studying
porpoises, and as you know, he later did a
TV series called Flipper. Ivan and Laslo
Benedek were the producers of Storm Over
Tibet and Marton was the director. They all
were extremely interesting and helpful to
me."

While at Columbia, Reason also played
supporting roles in movies such as Salome
with Rita Hayworth, Mission Over Korea
and China Venture (all 1953). Of his minor
role in Mission Over Korea, The New York
Times wrote, "In exactly two scenes, total-
ing approximately three minutes, a new-
comer named Rex Reason wins top acting
honors" over a cast that included veteran
players John Hodiak, John Derek, Audrey
Totter and Maureen O'Sullivan
(STARLOG #126).

When Reason's tenure at Columbia
reached its end, his agent talked him up at
Universal Studios. "Universal said they
had a part which might get me a seven-
year contract. It was the Indian brother to
Rock Hudson in Taza, Son of Cochise
[1954]. They tested me, and they seemed
to be very excited about the results. A few

Years later, Reason makes contact with a
piece from his heroic past, a small bead
that would form a link between Earth and
Metaluna via the Interociter.

days later, they signed me to a seven-year
contract and set me up for three pictures
immediately: Taza, Son of Cochise and
Yankee Pasha [1954] were the first two.
And, although I didn't know it at the
time, for the third, they had me pencilled
in as a possibility for This Island Earth."

In the latter half of the 1950s, Reason
would become typecast as a movie and TV
hero, but early on, Universal heaped
villainous roles on the stern, stentorian ac-
tor. In Taza, Son of Cochise, he was
Naiche, the hot-blooded Chiricahua
savage who refuses to honor the peace his
tribe has made with white men ("I want to
live like an Apache warrior — by the lance,
the arrow and the knife!"); and in the
serio-comic costume adventure Yankee
Pasha, he was the bearded Islamic
nobleman Omar Id-Din, who buys Rhonda
Fleming for 'his harem and meets the
gruesome impaling death which he had in-
tended for hero Jeff Chandler.

Reason has fond memories of the early
days when he dished out dastardly deeds
as a Universal contractee. "It was
wonderful there," he grins. "There were
acting workshops where we would
memorize a scene, do some improvisa-
tion; there was dancing; there was fenc-
ing — the whole grooming process. All the
Miss Americas and Miss Universes would
come out and we would host all those
lovely ladies, so on and so forth. I did love
it because it kept us busy.. Being a part of
it and having roles in pictures and seeing
your name up there on the screen is all
very exciting. I felt blessed to be a part of
that whole life."

However, the one negative aspect of a
contract player's life is that he is constantly
subject to the whims of the front office.
"Milburn Stone walked in on me one morn-

STARLOG/Ator/i 1989 25

Reason was reunited with Morrow for The Creature Walks Among Us, but heartfully
admits that "it was a comedown after This Island Earth."

ing with a trade paper spread open in front
of him, and he said, 'Hi, Bart.' I said,
'What do you mean?' and he read to me,
'Rex Reason's name now changed to Bart
Roberts.' Well, that made me a little
disturbed. I went and talked to Ed Muhl,
who was head of production at Universal,
and I said, 'You know, if my name were
Bart Roberts, I bet you would change it to
Rex Reason!' I told him Rex Reason was a
good name and he didn't argue. He said,
'Fine, you can have it back.' However, as it
ended up, those first two pictures [Taza,
Son of Cochise and Yankee Pasha] went out
with the Bart Roberts name on 'em."

It was by being in the right place at the
right time that Reason won his best, and
best-remembered, role as the hero of This
Island Earth. Actress Piper Laurie was mak-
ing a test for a Western and Reason was ask-
ed to play opposite her in a short scene set
on a stagecoach. The scene belonged to the
actress, Reason was relaxed and casual in his
supporting part and today he cannot even
recall what the picture was or if Piper Laurie
got the role. "But Ed Muhl watched that
scene and seemed to like it very much, and
as a result of that, he thought of me for
Meacham in This Island Earth. I read the
script and I found it very interesting, I
started testing and the rest you know."

Odyssey to Metaluna

Technicolor cameras rolled on Universal-
International's most lavish science-fiction
production in January 1954. Reason and
another screen newcomer, Jeff Morrow,
starred as terran hero and extraterrestrial
tragic-hero, sultry Howard Hughes

discovery Faith Domergue assumed the
female lead, and supporting parts were filled
by such '50s reliables as Russell Johnson,
Lance Fuller and Robert Nichols. But it was
the Universal special FX technicians who
would emerge as the film's true stars as This
Island Earth began to grow in importance in
the eyes of studio executives. "I know they
put a tremendous amount of money into the
special FX, and day after day, the more it
progressed toward getting ready for the
screen, there was that much more talk about
it," Reason says. "It seemed to be a very
important project at the time, important
enough for them to put the money into it
and make it as first-class as possible."

What Reason calls his "good vibes" over
the picture and its possibilities were further
bolstered as his relationships with cast and
crew began to develop. "The producer,
William Alland, had a great deal of im-
agination. He was always fascinated with
whatever it was he was doing, and he was
always giving us his ideas regarding what we
were going to do. He was quite an im-
aginative gentleman and always quite
energetic. I would call Joseph Newman a
comfortable director. A few of the directors
I worked with did a lot of screaming and
yelling, but Joe was very comfortable and
easy to work with."

Regarding his co-stars, Reason notes,
"Jeff Morrow [STARLOG #118] was, to
me, the professional. He was very
stimulating to watch and to work with. He
was in his part, and he had a lot of respect
for his fellow actors. As a result of this, I
was better; he was 'high,' and this called
forth every bit of my attention and involve-

On and off screen, Jeff Morrow (far left)
inspired Reason to do his best. "Jeff was
trie professional," offers Reason.

ment as an actor. His few remarks to me
during the shooting of This Island Earth
helped me. He said, 'You know, you have
looks, Rex, but if you think that you do
have looks, it's going to take away from
your acting. You're the kind of person
who'll have to work a little harder.' I did the
best work I knew how on This Island Earth,
and I held up my end of the picture to his
satisfaction. He is an actor's actor."

And leading lady Faith Domergue "was
quite a sport," Reason adds. "There was a
scene where I had to dunk her down into
some dirty water and a chase where I had to
yank her along, and she didn't ever com-
plain. She never once played 'the Holly-
wood Queen' with me. She did a good job,
she was a lovely lady and she was very nice.
I'm sorry I didn't get to know her better."

Production went smoothly over what
Reason remembers as a six-week shooting
schedule, with enthusiasm for the project

26 STARLOG/Mo/r/! 1989

continuing to grow and Reason enjoying the
change of pace from his usual villainous
roles. Reports had an uncredited Jack Ar-
nold partially responsible for the film's
direction, but Reason dismisses the rumors.
"Jack Arnold was there, and he was very
excited about being part of the picture," the
actor allows, but to the best of his recollec-
tion, Arnold was in charge of only a few
stray pick-up or insert shots.

Reason continues to look back on This
Island Earth with pride, although he (like
Jeff Morrow) regards Universal's decision
to shoehorn monster scenes into the film's
climax as an unhappy miscalculation. "I
would say that those scenes definitely de-
tracted from This Island Earth," he com-
ments. "They didn't have the realism that
the rest of the picture did. You could tell im-
mediately that this was just a stuntman in a
bug uniform, and that took away from the

Sparing no expense on FX, Universal,

according to Reason, tried to make This

Island Earth as first-class as possible.

THIS ISLA

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The actor hasn't packed it in just yet; Reason hopes to become quite vocal about an
acting comeback in the future.

picture. If they had showed the monsters
only in close-ups, if they had kept the
camera up around their heads, it might have
had more impact, but the long shots spoiled
the moment. For the small kids, it was all
right, but This Island Earth was, in some
ways, a rather thoughtful story, and it was
just too bad that they had to have those in
there."

If Reason hoped that his heroic thesping
in This Island Earth would change his screen
image, Universal quickly dashed his hopes
by returning him to deep-dyed villainy in
films like 1955's Kiss of Fire (as the ruthless
Governor of New Mexico) and the same
year's Smoke Signal (as a conniving cavalry
lieutenant).

"But I enjoyed those villainous roles,
because I could lose myself. To my mind, I
wasn't good-looking enough to be a Rock
Hudson or somebody like that, so I felt
much more comfortable with some of those
character roles. I knew how to act, I came
off the stage, so to me, acting was important
and I always did my job as well as I could.
But I never really had any objective of get-
ting to be a star or anything, I felt it was just
part of the activity of growing up."

voyage to Black Lagoon

Reason couldn't have been overly pleased
with his next assignment, The Creature
Walks Among Us (1956). The third install-
ment in Universal's popular and profitable
Gillman trilogy, Creature Walks is notches
below the earlier Creature films in quality
and to this day remains a slightly sore spot
for its stalwart star.

As a Universal player, Reason emoted at
the mercy of studio execs, all the while
trying to keep his good name intact.

"If I had known that it would be shown
on television and been around, I wouldn't
have done it, to tell the truth," Reason con-
fesses. "I did the film feeling it was just a
job, but I really hadn't anticipated the
possibility of it getting on television. There
weren't too many movies of that type on TV
at the time, and I thought of it as a picture I
would be able to simply put behind me. I
thought it was corny."

Former assistant director John Sherwood
assumed directorial duties on this final
Creature outing while Reason was reunited
with This Island Earth's Jeff Morrow in the
leading roles. A Gillman-hunting expedition
into the Florida Everglades is organized by
Morrow, a slightly batty surgeon who
spends most of his time bickering about
evolution and casting fishy stares in the
direction of his sorely-tried bride Leigh
Snowden. Between verbal sparring matches,
Morrow and fellow scientist Reason track
down and capture the Giilman, who is
transformed by fire into an air-breathing,
smooth-skinned, Frankensteinian brute in a
baggy sailcloth jumpsuit. Eventually, the
Creature rebels, kills Morrow and lumbers
instinctively back to the sea and a presumed
drowning death.

Like Jeff Morrow, Reason remembers
precious little about his Creature encounter
except that there were no challenges for him
as an actor. "It was a comedown after This
Island Earth and Kiss of Fire, a downer, ' ' he
sighs, and once again wishes aloud that he
had had the foresight to turn down the
assignment. Adding to his unhappiness is
the fact that he still carries a scar from his
Creature experience: "We had an accident
while we were shooting the scene on the mo-
torboat. There was a little lantern on board
which fell over and started a fire. I jumped
out, but there was a piece of metal on the
boat's side that ripped open my ankle."

Like John Agar (FANGORIA #54), who
quit Universal when he realized that SF roles
were all the studio planned for him, Reason
was becoming extremely wary of genre
assignments. When Universal initially an-
nounced The Deadly Mantis in mid- 1956,
Reason and Mara Corday were slated for
the leads. But the actor finally put his foot
down. "That was one picture when I finally
spoke up and told them I didn't want to do
it. To me, it was very corny. I knew that the
monster would be the star and I felt that I
was worth a little more than just to support
a praying mantis." As it turned out, Reason
needn't have made a fuss over the proposed
role: The Deadly Mantis wasn't shot until
after the mid-50s Universal shake-up in
which most of the studio's contract players
were dropped from the payroll. When the
film finally went into production in July
1956, Craig Stevens and William Hopper
were sharing the top male slots opposite
femme lead Alix Talton.

Now a freelancer, Reason continued to
work in movies (mostly Westerns) and in
television. His first TV series was the syn-
dicated Western Man Without a Gun, which
lasted 52 episodes. His second, The Roaring
(continued on page 62)

28 STARLOG/A/arc/7 1989

Dusting off his

proton blaster,

this Chostbuster

prepares to scare

up new laughs.

By IAN SPELLING

It had been four long years since Bill
Murray haunted movie theaters with
Ghostbusters. But this past Christmas,
Murray resurfaced to raise different spirits
as Frank Cross, the curmudgeonly network
president who tried to siphon every last buck
from the pockets of holiday television
viewers in Scrooged. In the tradition of
Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol,
Cross' life was forever altered by the ap-
pearances of ghosts past (David Johansen),
present (Carol Kane) and future, each of
whom instilled in him the true meaning of
Christmas.

The opportunity to make Scrooged first
arose well over two years ago, but Murray
elected to wait and enjoy his free time.
Finally, the desire to perform again hit.
"But when I wanted to work, the scripts
were just not good," Murray explains.

Will the team of Murray and Carol Kane be reunited in future films? "Over my dead,
lifeless body," reports the actor.

Then, he returned to the Scrooged idea.
"We tore up the script so badly that we had
parts all over the lawn. There was a lot I
didn't like. To remake the story, we took
the romantic element [Frank's relationship
with his former girl friend, Claire, played by
Karen (Starman) Allen] and built that up a
little more. It existed in the script's original
version, but we had to make more out of it.
The family scenes were kind of off, so we
worked on that.

"We shot a big, long sloppy movie, so
there's a great deal of material that didn't
even end up in the film. It just didn't work.
You tend to forget what was wrong. It's
hard. I just figured that anyone who's good
could step into this part and have a lot of
fun with it. It's sort of a wicked character.
The idea of making a funny Scrooge was an

IAN SPELLING, NY-based writer, profil-
ed Martin Landau in issue #139.

ST ARLOG/ March 1989 29

Back off, man, Bill Murray is a
Ghostbuster again!

inspired touch. That's what was appealing
to me about it."

After collaborating with writers Mitch
Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue (who pen-
ned Saturday Night Live's first Star Trek
spoof, published in STARLOG #14), Mur-
ray felt confident enough to begin shooting.
Director Richard Donner (STARLOG #93,
97), who has helmed such diverse projects as
Ladyhawke, Superman and Lethal
Weapon, had never before dealt with an im-
provisational comedian as his leading man.
Donner considered his task as simple or as
difficult as keeping his star in control and
positioning performers around him. As time
passed, however, Donner discovered the
true actor in Bill Murray.

"You don't direct Billy, you pull him
back," admits Donner. "Billy really became
an actor to me during Scrooged. I had
always thought of him as an entertainer.
Now, having worked with him, I could see
him playing a heavy. He's a good enough
actor. You give him a platform, make him
as comfortable as possible, and he comes at
you in every direction. He did for me."

Seasonal spooks

Despite Donner's assertion that Murray
came into his own during the Scrooged
shoot, Murray himself claims to have learn-
ed more about the pressures of
singlehandedly carrying an entire produc-
tion. Chostbusters starred Harold Ramis,
Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Rick

Moranis, Ernie Hudson and Murray,
spreading the on-the-set responsibility
among the leads. "Scrooged was harder
[than Chostbusters] because I was by
myself, really. Even though there are a
number of people in the movie, they only
had cameos. They would stroll in for a day
or two and split. I was there every day,"
Murray notes, "and it was like flunking
grade school again and again."

Worse yet, Frank Cross evolved into a
physically demanding role when Murray
began sharing scenes with Carol Kane. As
the Ghost of Christmas Present, Kane
punched, pinched and pummeled Murray
frequently.

The work frustrated the emotional ac-
tress, who, according to both Murray and
Donner, melted into 20-minute-long crying
jags at inopportune moments. As painful as
the role was for Kane, Murray suffered
more for his art. "There's a piece of skin
that connects your Up with your gums and it
was really pulled away," recalls Murray of
one encounter with Kane. "She really hurt
me, but it was my idea to be physical and it
was her idea just to hit me as opposed to
- pulling the punches."

%

-^

<£*"

Convincing Murray to again don his

proton pack alongside buddy

Dan Aykroyd wasn't easy.

"I was the last holdout,"

admits Murray.

All work and no play? That's not true as

David Johansen and Bill Murray are caught

out of character and costumes in this

candid shot on the Scrooged set.

^

A ii &

i

mrj/ttk

o
a

A happier relationship will resume as Sigourney Weaver floats back into Murray the

Ghostbuster's life.

"Billy really became an actor to me during
Scrooged," says director Richard Donner.

Asked if he would consider teaming with
Kane again in the future, Murray chuckles,
and in a sly does-he-really-mean-it tone, he
replies, "Over my dead, lifeless body."

The word "pressure" pops up often.
Though Murray tries to laugh it off, there's
truth to the thought that a great deal — his
stature in Hollywood and his immense
popularity with audiences — may have been
riding on the box office fate of Scrooged.
"I've had some success in movies, so I really
don't think about success. You like to have
it," Murray admits in a reflective moment,
"but I'm not desperate for it. I'm pleased if
people really like Scrooged. If many people
see it, I'll be happy, not just because it
makes money, but it would mean people
said, 'You should go see this movie.'

"Scrooged was a miserable gig. I had
much more fun on The Razor's Edge, which
made no money. But I got to go around the
world and meet all kinds of people. On
Scrooged, I was trapped on a dusty, smelly
and smokey set in Hollywood for three-and-
a-half months, having a lousy time by
myself, and just coughing up blood from
this fake snow that was falling all the time.
So, the work is everything."

Spectral Sequel

Murray promises the wait for his next
movie won't be nearly as long as the one for
Scrooged. "It's not going to be called
Ghostbusters II," he reveals. "We'll burn in
hell if we call it Ghostbusters II. I've sug-
gested The Last of the Ghostbusters, to
make sure there won't be anything like a
Ghostbusters III. But the script is nowhere
near ready, and we start shooting soon.
[Filming, in fact, began at presstime,
November 28.] Jeez, more pressure. We'll
figure it out. . .or we won't.

"I was the last holdout. They finally just
waved too much money in my face," laughs
Murray. "I really didn 't want to do it for all
the obvious reasons, but the reasons to do it
were obvious, too. With Dan and Harold
and Moranis and Sigourney, we really had a
ball. That's really the most fun I've had on a
movie. It's the most fun group to be with.

"We weren't so crazy about making
money, or being desperate, and it worked,"
he confesses. "Finally, Dan and Harold
said, 'We've got some ideas here. What do
you think?' We spent a couple of days talk-
ing, and they did have some amazing ideas
for this story."

Shortly before presstime, even Murray
couldn't confirm Sigourney Weaver's par-
ticipation in the sequel. In the years since the
original Ghostbusters, Weaver (STARLOG
#109) has established herself as a major
Hollywood force. Based on her Academy
Award-nominated performance as Ripley in
ALIENS and the financial triumph of
James Cameron's film, producers consider
the actress "bankable," meaning she wields
enough clout to see as controversial and un-

commercial a movie as Gorillas in the Mist
brought to the screen as a vehicle for her.
Though Murray jokingly refers to Gorillas
as "The Monkey Movie," Weaver's star has
risen to the point where accepting a minor
role in a Ghostbusters adventure could
represent a poor career move.

"She's not even in the cartoon, so I don't
know if she's going to be in the film," Mur-
ray says. "The original idea was that she
would be in it. The ideas they sold me on to
say, 'OK, let's do it,' are no longer in the
script. Sigourney was one of those ideas.

"They've gone all the way around trying
to figure out how to make it. I had to audi-
tion with some actresses, but we all like
Sigourney. The only problem with
Sigourney is she's so tall. Naaah, I'm just
kidding. She's tall, but she's not too tall.
The problem is that you would wind up with
a story that was tilted and like the Flintstone
family. Sigourney and I would be this major
thing and it would be hard to figure out how
the Ghostbusters' dynamic would grow. The
sort of story they were writing ended up not
really needing the other three guys."

Fortunately, though, matters have been
settled. Reached at presstime, Weaver con-
firms she will be in The Last of the Ghost-
busters as "the female lead, as far as I
know."

Murray looks forward to the filming —
sort of. "Oh, what the hell," he sighs.
"Even if it's a dog, this sequel's going to
make money because so many people are
going to say, 'Let's see if they ruined it' or
'Let's see if it's any good.' It's a creative
process and that's all that counts. We've got
a few weeks yet," Bill Murray notes. "It
should be interesting." w

32 STARLOG/Marc/! 1989

CONVENTIONS for

STAR TREK & SCI-FI FANS

COMING TO THESE CITIES ON THESE DATES:

PHILADELPHIA

JANUARY 28-29

Penn Tower Hotel,

Civic Center Blvd. at 34th

Street

With NICHELLE NICHOLS

(Uhura of Star Trek),

RICHARD ARNOLD (of

Paramount Pictures Star

Trek Office), and PHILIP

AKIN( star of the new War

of the Worlds)

ALBUQUERQUE

FEBRUARY 4-5

Holiday Inn Pyramid, 5151

San Francisco Road NE.

With WALTER KOENIG

(Chekov of Star Trek). $130

WASHINGTON, DC

FEBRUARY 11-12

HOLIDAY INN CROWNE

PLAZA, 300 Army Navy

Drive, Arlington

(notice new hotel)

With GEORGE TAKEI of

STAR TREK and

RICHARD CHAVES

(War of the Worlds)

TUCSON
FEBRUARY 11-12
Peppers at Day's Inn Hotel
Downtown, 88 East Broad-
way. First time in this city,

should be great.
With NICHELLE NICHOLS.

SAN DIEGO

FEBRUARY 18-19

Hotel San Diego, 339 West

Broadway

With GEORGE TAKEI(Sulu

of Star Trek), and SUSAN

SACKETT

( Gene Roddenberry's

Assistant on STNG)

MANHATTAN

FEBRUARY 25-26

Penta Hotel

A very special convention

that covers all areas with

some great guest stars!

OMAHA

MARCH 4-5

Red Lion Inn, 1616 Dodge

Street.

Another first time city

With Nichelle Nichols

of Star Trek!

PHOENIX

MARCH 11-12

Sheraton Hotel,

Central and Adams

SACRAMENTO

MARCH 18-19

Hotel El Rancho

1029 W. Capital Ave.

HONOLULU

APRIL 1-2

lllikai Hotel

177 Ala Moana Blvd.

With tentatively JIMMY

DOOHAN

(Scotty of Star Trek),

WALTER AND LOUISE

SIMONSON, (of Marvel

Comics)

LOS ANGELES

APRIL 8-9

Annual Fangoria

"Weekend Of

Horrors"

Airport Hilton and

Towers. Our annual

Salute to HORROR in the

Media co-sponsored by

FANGORIA®Magazine!

NEW HAVEN

APRIL 15-16

Park Plaza Hotel,

155 Temple Street

LAS VEGAS

APRIL 15-16

Showboat Hotel

With Nichelle Nichols

(Uhura of Star Trek)

ROCHESTER, NY

APRIL 29-30

Holiday Inn Genesee,

120 Main Street East

PORTLAND

MAY 20-21

Holiday Inn Airport,

8439 N.E. Columbia Blvd.

With JIMMY DOOHAN

(Scotty

of Star Trek) and

RICHARD ARNOLD

LOS ANGELES

JUNE 3-4

AIRPORT HILTON

AND TOWERS, 5711 W.

Century Blvd.

SALUTE TO

STAR TREK, an
all-star bash everyone
tries to be at! This year

we'll

be saluting the release of

STAR TREK 5. Make your

hotel reservations early

for this spectacular event!

DETROIT AREA

JUNE 10-11

Dearborn Civic Center

INDIANAPOLIS

JUNE 10-11

Adam's Mark Hotel,

2544 Executive Drive

First time in this city.

Nichelle Nichols is

our special guest

MANHATTAN

JUNE 24-25

Penta Hotel

Multi Media Convention

MINNEAPOLIS

JULY 1-2

Day's Inn Airport

8401 Cedar Avenue So.

Bloomington

RICHMOND, VA.

JULY 1-2

Jefferson Sheraton

Tables: $140

HARTFORD, CT.

JULY 8-9

Howard Johnson

Center Street

(Exit 41)

off I-95

Windsor Locks

MANCHESTER, N.H.

JULY 29-30

Center of New

Hampshire

Holiday Inn

PHILADELPHIA

AUGUST 5-6

Penn Tower Hotel

BUFFALO, N.Y.

AUGUST 5-6
Airport Sheraton

SPOKANE, WA.
AUGUST 12-13
Red Lion Hotel

ANCHORAGE

AUGUST 19-20

Hilton Hotel

Creation's Salute to Star

Trek

comes to Alaska

for the very first time!

WASHINGTON, DC

AUGUST 19-20

National Crowne Plaza

All conventions presented
by CREATION CONVEN-
TIONS, 145 Jericho
Turnpike, Mineola, New
York 11501. For FREE info
on any of these events
send a self addressed
stamped envelope to us

and specify which
convention you want to
know about. Send one
envelope per convention.
All conventions feature
dealers rooms filled with
tons of STAR TREK and
sci-fi media goodies (stuff
you won't see anywhere
else!). Also: slideshow
previews of STAR TREK
5, news on upcoming Sci-
Fi films, NEXT GENERA-
TION slideshows and
news updates, SPECIAL

EVENTS: auctions,
contests, trivia competi-
tions, THE STAR TREK
BLOOPERS, and much

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Our hot line number for

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Something was
Out There . . .

When the mini-series hit went weekly, it lost
its alien nature— and its human audience.

By MARC SHAPIRO

Something Is Out There. But not
anymore. The latest network attempt
at translating science fiction into a
successful weekly series has gone the way of
"V" and, to a large extent, for the same
reasons. Ergo: A bad time slot or, more
specifically, a bad Friday night time slot

MARC SHAPIRO, STARLOG's West
Coast Correspondent, profiled Bob
Dolman in issue #139.

which is like standing room only in a
graveyard. Ergo II: That inevitable time and
budget squeeze that reduces the best inten-
tions to an inescapable television bottom
line. Ergo III: A change in direction that
resulted in the failure of Something Is Out
There: The Series to do what Something Is
Out There: The Mini-Series did — which was
to attract a large viewing audience.

Kicking an alien corpse is easy (although
not recommended). Nevertheless, executive

Maryam d'Abo and Joe Cortese may just
as well be looking at the less-than-out-of-
this world ratings that lowered the boom
on Something Is Out There.

producer John Ashley saw the handwriting
on the wall some months ago when the vic-
tim was still breathing.

"Based on the numbers we've been get-
ting so far, we will probably not get renew-
ed," explains the straight-shooting Ashley
during a late November interview. "At this
point, we're just trying to do the best shows
that we can for whatever time the series
has left."

Ashley, just back from the set where epi-
sode eight is filming, indicates that what's
left may be only a matter of weeks. NBC has
committed to 13 episodes of the science-fic-
tion/cop series. After a stumbling start op-
posite Dallas, the show was recently moved
back an hour and up against Beauty & the
Beast, where things, ratings wise, have got-
ten worse. And the bad news, he claims, has
started to filter down to the cast and crew.

"These people are pros but I've started to
notice some of them making phone calls
during their lunch hour testing the waters
for other work. Everybody's doing the best
that they can to make the best 13 shows we
can, but you can't blame them for checking
out future work."

It has been a rough genre year for John
Ashley. First, his and co-producer Frank
Lupo's Werewolf 'series bites the silver bullet
and now Something Is Out There is poised
on the verge of extinction. It's no wonder
that Ashley feels just the slightest bit
betrayed by his fantasy experiences.

"I think, at this point, I'm kind of
science-fictioned out," he chuckles. "Los-
ing two genre series in one year must be
some kind of record. I've got a couple other
television things in the works, but they'll
definitely be reality-based."

Why series?

Something Is Out There, starring
Maryam d'Abo and Joe Cortese, became a
creative glint in writing partner Frank
Lupo's eyes in 1987. Originally entitled In-
vader, the storyline followed the often
Moonlighting-like relationship between
streetwise cop Jack Breslin (Cortese) and
beautiful E.T. Ta'ra (d'Abo) as they track
down a shape-changing killer alien wreaking
havoc on Earth. NBC liked what they read
and heard and ordered Something Is Out
There as a four hour mini-series for broad-
cast in May '88.

With a $7.5 million budget and four
hours to play around with, Ashley and Lupo
went for FX-broke. Rick Baker, a longtime
fan of Ashley's grade-Z films, jumped at the
chance to create the killer alien. John
Dykstra did likewise for special FX duties.
Something Is Out There was shot in 41 days
on locations in Los Angeles and Australia.
Ashley recalls that there were murmurs even
then of something lurking out there beyond
the mini-series.

"Anytime you do a mini-series or a two
hour film, it's always in the back of

34 STARLOG/Marc/! 1989

Executive producer John Ashley was given a choice, have his
lovely E.T. (Maryam d'Abo) go against the Ewing clan or not go
on TV at all.

n a last ditch effort to save the series, the show returned to
the mini-series' successful formula, pitting Jack Breslin
(Cortese) against things from Out There.

everybody's mind that it will serve as a
backdoor possibility for a series. By the time
we finished filming, we were convinced that
if the ratings were good, we would get a go
for a weekly series," remembers Ashley.

Something Is Out There aired over two
nights in May 1988, captured excellent
ratings and was announced as a regular
series a week later by NBC honcho Brandon
Tartikoff. Ashley and Lupo toasted their
good fortune and began dealing with the
reality of putting Something Is Out There
out there on a weekly basis.

"Things definitely change fast when a
mini-series or movie becomes a weekly
series," says Ashley. "It's great when
you've got four hours, $7.5 million and the
talents of Rick Baker and John Dykstra to
play around with. But what happens when
you're suddenly cut to a million per episode
budget, don't have the talents of Baker and
Dykstra and have to take the mini-series
concept to the next level while turning out
an hour a week? What happens is that you
make some changes."

One of the major changes was to throw
out the idea that Something Is Out There

would become a "monster of the week"
show.

"We couldn't afford nor did we feel that
the audience would necessarily want to see a
creature every week," Ashley explains.
"When we went to series, we decided to
spend more time developing the relationship
between Jack and Ta'ra and to focus more
on her special abilities. We felt that focusing
on the relationship and keeping the series
within a science-fiction framework would
do the job."

Ashley recalls that there was also the mat-
ter of a truly terrible time slot.

"Let's face it, nobody goes out and begs
to be opposite Dallas," he cracks. "But
Brandon [Tartikoff] was honest with me.
He said, 'Here's your option. If you want to
go on the air this fall, I can give you Fridays
at nine.' I asked him what the other option
was and he said, 'Not to go on.' "

Something Is Out There went on and im-
mediately found itself heading towards the
ratings basement. According to Ashley,
Dallas was only part of the problem.

"In the early episodes, we felt we had
pulled our reins in too far. We discovered

that many people were expecting an alien
every week, because of the mini-series, and
were being disappointed. And even though
the stories were focusing on such topics, like
telekinesis and mind reading, that bordered
on science fiction, we weren't attracting the
real hardcore science-fiction/action fan who
wanted ray guns and spaceships. What we
were giving them just wasn't working.

"So, we took a step back and looked at
what elements made the mini-series work
and made the later episodes along the lines
of where the show should have gone. We
went back to basics. We brought the
creature from the mini-series back for a two-
part episode, gave Ta'ra some additional
powers and made the show more science fic-
tional in nature. And rolled the dice once
again."

Where wolf?

The last time John Ashley rolled the dice
on a genre crap table, they came up with
Werewolf (FANGORIA #68). And for a
while, that show appeared to be coming up
sevens and elevens. But corporate boxcars,
(continued on page 64)

STARLOG/ March 1989 35

mm-

'41

The magazine for young film and video makers!

The only publication that teaches the techniques of production and special effects! Latest equipment!

Low-budget tricks and tips! And more!

BACK ISSUES STILL AVAILABLE-BUT SUPPLY IS LIMITED!

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#2— Spaceship Model Making. Blood
Makeup; Smoke Generator: Light
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#7— Basic Cartoon Animation:
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#28— Organizing a Film. Jim Danforth
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Rock Video: Pinocchio: Car Crashes;
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#29— Special Cable-Control Issue! In-
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#30— A Harryhausen Gallery; Build an
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Lost Sequence From King Kong-,
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#31— Partrng the Red Sea in DeMille's
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#32— Ten Commandments— Part 2;
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#34— Lighting Monsters; Archery
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#36— Harryhausen's Beast from
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Kodachrome 40: Layman's guide to
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How to be your own casting director.
The career of Ray Harryhausen.

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Eric Stoltz

son of Fly

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

He's the new generation

of Brundlefly.

By ERIC NIDEROST

ric Stoltz is a very focused actor.
That becomes obvious during a set
visit to The Fly II. Brooksfilms'
Canadian-based sequel to the 1986 horror
hit. The interview takes place in the "control
booth" of the telepod set at Bridge Studios.
British Columbia. Perched a dizzying three
stories above the floor, the glassed-in booth
looks down upon a raised platform, and on
that platform, bathed in floodlights, stand
the squat shapes of the first film's telepods.

The actor, who plays Martin Brundle, son
of the tragic scientist-turned-insect essayed
by Jeff Goldblum, walks in with rapid
strides and sits himself down near a table
filled with futuristic props. He's clad in a
multihued shirt so colorful, "loud" isn't the
word for it — it shouts his presence from the
rooftops. The day before, when Stoltz was
introduced as "Marty," it was explained the
young performer likes to stay in character
on camera and off.

Forewarned, but not necessarily forearm-
ed, the first question is gingerly posed, "Are
you in character now?" and is met by the
confident reply, "Yes, always!" A worn
close to panic arises as the question sheets
re: this interview are scanned. All queries are
addressed to Stoltz, not his celluloid alter-
ego. What does Martin Bundle know about
Eric Stoltz? Probably precious little. They
may inhabit the same body, but they haven't
been formally introduced. However, seeing
the evident concern, "Brundle" volunteers,
"I'll try to answer questions about him to
the best of my ability."

As it happens, all the fears are largely un-
founded: Apart from a few lapses, including
a request to be called "Martin," Stoltz
answers as himself.

Stoltz co-stars with Daphne (Spaceballs)
Zuniga, Lee (Prizzi's Honor) Richardson
and John (Blood Simple) Getz, the only
member of The Fly who has returned to
reprise his role. Though the cast is almost
entirely new, Fly II still carries the story for-
ward from the original film. Spawn of an
insect-man and his fully-human mate, Mar-
tin at first is unaware of his arthropod
heritage. In fact, Martin is superficially nor-
mal, save for an accelerated growth rate that
takes him from birth to his early 20s in just
five years.

"Fly" specs

The plot takes wing when Martin is
adopted by ruthless millionaire Anton Bar-
tok (Lee Richardson). Hoping some of his
father's genius might have rubbed off on the
young man, Bartok assigns Martin the for-
midable task of making the telepods func-
tional again. When Marty learns the terrible
truth — that he may be metamorphizing into
an insect himself — it's a race against time as
the young man uses the telepod to try and
find a cure for his malady.

But there's no question as to who "Mar-
tin Brundle" really takes after. "I think

ERIC NIDEROST, veteran STAR l.OC
correspondent, examined MAC & Me ;/;
STARLOC #136.

STARLOG/Aft//r/i 1989 37

r

1

&

"Dad, is it OK if 1 use the

>.-■

^*K

telepod tonight?"

Marty

I

-

.*

(Eric Stoltz) certainly knows

A

. '--

f ■•

how to show Beth (Zuniga)

\

J>

#

a good time.

-

.

\

JWj

J!

t

«Ml

4

Marty is very much his mother's
son — shares more of her traits than his

t j

iff

■

^

father's. Marty exhibits her courage and

f '3|Ii||

1

—

compassion through most of the film."
When he first received the Fly II script,

Hem . a/Ik ic

b B9Pr j

*™

Stoltz gave it a thumbs down. "I thought it

^ fiT '

Hji «»

■»

was poorly written," he says candidly, "so I

i W/m/j

1 V^^^k. •■

4

rejected it. About four months later, I

■■■■

Litw

/

received another draft, which was much bet-

i W

gfa ^

L j

ter written. Then, I was asked to meet with

1-

\ ttH

En

i .-

[director] Chris Walas. I did, and I was able

It's the same old story. Boy meets girl
(Daphne Zuniga). Boy turns into a hideous
hybrid. Perfect for Valentine's Day.

I

to express my interest in the film as well as
my fears about it. I found we got along very
well, so 1 decided to accept the part."

Once his name was on the contract, Stoltz
began to prepare for his assignment in
earnest. He screened The Fly, but admits, "I
really had a hard time looking at that movie
because, frankly, it scared me." On a more
positive note, Stoltz sought the advice of
original movie leads Jeff Goldblum
(STARLOG #85) and Geena Davis

OK, so his father dissolved this guy's hand
and foot, but Marty (Stoltz) still counts on
Stathis Borans (John Getz) for help.

(STARLOG #131). The task of finding
them was eased by the fact they are now
real-life husband and wife.

"I talked to Mom and Dad up at their
house," declares Stoltz, suddenly reverting
to "Martin" once again, "and they were
quite helpful. They told me many stories
about The Fly's production and gave me
hints about how to deal with special EX."

Some actors might be afraid of being
typecast as a "genre" performer, but Stoltz
dismisses the notion. Comments the actor,
"I'm an SF fan, but horror? I just don't
know. As I've said, it frightens me and I
have a tough time watching it. I'm not
afraid of being a genre actor, though. True,
this is my first stab at horror, but I figured,
'Why not?' And it's not just SF or horror; I
would like to try every genre, even musical
comedy!"

Stoltz isn't the only horror "fledgling" in
Fly II. Chris Walas, one of the best-known
figures in the FX industry, makes his direc-
torial bow on this film. "Chris is a maniac,"
Stoltz exclaims, "a regular maniac! Anyone
who has seen him work will agree. I do
mean that in a positive way. What I mean is,
he's always on the go, never stopping for a
minute even though he has been tired. He's §
like some newspaperman — he's here, he's J
there, he's everywhere on the set." t

Audiences go to movies for entertain- g
ment, not education, but still, Stoltz believes |
there's a gold mine of profound truths «
beneath Fly ITs visual thrills. As he sees it, if -
audiences look deeply enough, they might f>!
come away with a few nuggets of wisdom. |
Take Martin's accelerated growth rate, for *£
example. A mere plot device? Perhaps, but |
the actor says there's more. ^

"I don't see Martin as a victim," Stoltz J
argues, "but as a human being with a
heightened sense of reality. All humans
come to realize they are decaying and will
eventually die. Marty has an accelerated life

Having already worn extensive makeup
appliances as Cher's misfortunate son in
Mask. Stoltz knew the horrors to come
with his Fly II transformation.

STARLOG/March 1989 39

There is nothing this actor
won't do for his craft.
In Haunted Summer,
Stoltz as Percy Shelley
discusses a drug-induced
vision with Mary
Goodwin (Alice Krige).

I

In the little-seen Lionheart, Stoltz brandished his metal against Roger (007) Moore's
daughter, Deborah Barrymore.

cycle, and so he has an accelerated sense of
time. But if he's a victim, then we all are!"
Even the basic plot of Fly II is allegorical,
at least to a degree. According to Stoltz, the
movie preaches the "dangers of a corporate
mentality and of turning things over to them
that are beyond our grasp."

"Fly" Papers

Standard bios record his theater training
at age 10, and trumpet his "great love of
acting," but Stoltz, who first appeared on
screen in Fast Times at Ridgemont High,
paints a slightly altered picture. "I never
grew up wanting to become an actor," he
recalls. "It was just something I ended up
doing. I still don't know if I want to be an
actor; I'll make that decision when I grow
up, whenever that will be."

Most young actors stick to contemporary
themes, but Stoltz seems to be cast from a
more adventurous mold. Within the last two
years, he has essayed not one but two
historical roles, one based on fact, the other
on fiction.

40 STARLOG/March 1989

In Lionheart, a lavish costumer reminis-
cent of El Cid or Ivanhoe, Stoltz is Robert, a
young knight who leaves the Crusades and
embarks on his own private quest. En route,
he teams up with some orphan children and
together they search for King Richard the
Lionhearted.

Rumor has it that the barely released epic
is a sword-and-sorcery tale, a kind of "Co-
nan goes to the Crusades." Stoltz disagrees.
"Lionheart," the actor maintains, "is a
pretty straightforward historical picture,
with no sorcery elements in it at all. We used
authentic locations, including many real
castles. It was filmed in Hungary and Por-
tugal; first, outside of Budapest in the Lake
Balatan region, then in a tiny village about
200 miles north of Lisbon. The community
was on a hill, surrounded by a wall that was
built in the 14th century."

Lionheart also features what may be the
most jousting seen in movies since Charlton
Heston hung up his gauntlets. "There was a
great deal of horseback riding and sword-
play," remembers Stoltz, "so much so that

we had a fencing master to teach us all the
right moves. All the battles in the movie had
to be extensively choreographed."

While working on Lionheart, Stoltz
discovered a whole new meaning to the
phrase "heavy metal." "The movie was
authentic," chuckles the actor, "so we had a
lot of armor to wear. And heavy? It had
quite a bit of 'heft' to it, so even getting up
on a white stallion was quite a feat. Often,
there would be two or three assistants
pushing me up to help me mount!"

His other costume outing, Haunted Sum-
mer, might create a false impression due to
its title. Despite the name, it's "not a horror
or Gothic movie because there are no major
events in the film that didn't actually hap-
pen. Everything is based on actual journals
and diaries of the period."

Haunted Summer is basically a recount-
ing of how Mary Shelley conceived and
wrote the horror classic Frankenstein in the
early 19th century. Stoltz essays the roman-
tic English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley,
Mary's husband and in some respects her
"muse."

Stoltz, who also appeared in another
Gothic thriller, Sister, Sister, devoured all
the books he could find on the poet and
came away with a profound admiration for
the man and his era. "Shelley was an anar-
chistic, hedonistic genius. The movie was
made in Italy and Malta, near some of the
actual sites he visited. I hope audiences will
see a very lovely film.

"There are some FX in the movie,"
Stoltz notes, "but I don't know — nor do I
know how they might have handled it. We
filmed a couple of opium 'trips,' in which I
supposedly see my wife change form. But
again, I don't know how it turned out. I
haven't seen the completed picture."

It's no secret Fly //relies on the heavy use

of special makeup FX to achieve, at least in

part, its illusion of horror. Stephan

(continued on page 72)

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****'- ■*■■ — •■*"

True Facts
world's
Greatest
Lies

uttl

By KIM

HOWARD

JOHNSON

Aside from co-writing the

script with Terry Gilliam

for The Adventures of

Baron Munchausen,

Charles McKeown put

in time as an actor,

an actor playing

Adolphus and as

the real Adolphus.

He was busy.

Visiting his pals, "Baron Munchausen" and "Erik the Viking," Charles
McKeown writes back about his bizarre trip to "Brazil."

Charles McKeown can't always decide
which hat he prefers to wear. "When
I'm writing, I would prefer to be act-
ing, and when I'm acting, I would prefer to
be writing!" he laughs.

Although McKeown may not be instantly
recognizable, his face is rapidly becoming
more and more familiar on-screen. For a
time, McKeown's most notable role was as
part of the repertory company assembled by
Monty Python for their Life of Brian, but
he also had a brief, seriocomic bit in Brazil
as a bureaucrat who shares a desk — but not
an office — with hero Sam Lowry, played by
Jonathan Pryce (STARLOG #105).

But away from the cameras, McKeown
has helped to script some of the biggest fan-
tasy films of the '80s, including The Adven-
tures of Baron Munchausen and Brazil with
Terry Gilliam. He also worked on the Bat-
man screenplay. However, it is on the set of
Terry Jones' Erik the Viking, in which he
again appears as an actor, that McKeown
discusses writing, acting and the Pythons.

Baron Munchausen, for the first time,
finds his on-camera role nearly as prominent
as his off-screen involvement. Munchausen
is an epic fantasy, based on the legendary
stories of the world's greatest liar brought to

life by co-scripter McKeown and co-
writer/director Gilliam (their second such
collaboration). McKeown says Gilliam ask-
ed him to co-write the Munchausen script as
a result of their work together on Brazil.

Gilliam had been contemplating Mun-
chausen for several years prior to its script-
ing. "Terry had been given a book a few

years earlier called The Adventures of Baron
Munchausen, illustrated by Dore. It con-
tained the stories of the Baron; a few of
them were the ones that everyone knows,

KIM HOWARD JOHNSON, veteran
STARLOG correspondent, previewed
Jake's Journey in issue §136.

STARLOG/ 'March 1989 45

ng, a young mans tancy turns to
blue screens?! McKeown was faced with
the task of turning all the Baron's little
episodic tales into one cohesive storyline

V

Not quite a dirty vicar skit,
but it's still something
completely different.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and
couldn't wait to become part of it.

some of them were inappropriate. But they
were mostly just little episodic tales, so there
was no structure or narrative. What we had
to do was put together a story to connect all
the little episodes," explains McKeown.

The pair developed the tale of a city under
siege. A theatrical company trapped in the
walled city performing the Baron Mun-
chausen stories is astonished at the arrival of

1 a man claiming to be the Baron himself, ac-
i companied by his band of followers. The
; world's greatest liar then takes them on an

2 adventure that ranges from beneath the
I ocean to the surface of the Moon and into

the belly of a whale. With a cast headed by
Monty Python teammate Eric Idle and
Shakespearean great John Neville in the title
role, the special FX department put in over-
time to create numerous fantasy sequences.

The production was beset with problems,
however, ranging from running overbudget
and threats to replace Gilliam to language
problems while lensing in Rome and Spain.
Shooting was actually forced to begin before
Gilliam himself was ready, putting produc-
tion behind schedule almost from the start.
Originally, they had planned to shoot Mun-
chausen earlier, but another factor arose.

"Terry had 'The Battle of BrazW going
on, which took a lot of his time," says
McKeown, referring to the director's strug-

the fantasy film (STARLOG #92, 102).

"Had it not been for that, we would have
probably started Munchausen sooner. But
in a way, we benefitted. The script got better
because we let it alone — we took time away,
and went back and rewrote it."

Despite the time spent developing the
script, McKeown says it remained the same
story'. "I don't think the basic structure
changed very much," he says. "The story
idea stayed the same. The characters and
many details changed in the process, but the
basic ideas that construct everything didn't.
Even though the characters were all revised,
the most significant change was during its
making, when we started to run out of
money and we had to make alterations."

Probably the most important difference
occurs in the scene on the Moon. Sean Con-
nery was originally scheduled to play the
Moon King in a lengthy sequence. When the
scene was greatly pared down, Connery
dropped out to be replaced by Robin
Williams, which necessitated more changes.

"I think the Moon scene works very well
now with Robin Williams," McKeown com-
ments. "The sequence as it originally stood
was, in a way, a much grander, a much
more Gilliamesque sequence. We had to
make it shorter. What happened was that
the King of the Moon had this great court
with 30 subjects; we saved a great deal of
money by completely depopulating the
Moon, reducing it from a population of 30

Brazilian Fights

Their writing collaboration was similar to
their previous method of working,
McKeown notes. "We would discuss the
scenes at length, then I would go away and
write some stuff on the basis of what we had
discussed. Then, we would meet again, and
talk about what we had written and what 1
would write next. Then, I would go away
and do some more. That's the way I worked
on Brazil with Terry. We progressed
through the script like that," McKeown says
of the work style which earned them an
Academy Award nomination for BraziTs
screenplay. Also, he has since found himself
involved in yet another aspect of the Baron,

\* ■■

writing the novelization of the Munchausen
screenplay for Methuen Books.

The writing proved to be easier than the
filming itself, but McKeown was involved in
both. "I play one of the Baron's gang of
helpers," he explains. "I'm the one who can
hit the bullseye at 15,000 miles. My
character actually runs through the story in
three forms. I play Rupert, the actor in this
theater company who's playing the
character of Adolphus. Then, the Baron
comes along and turns me into the real
Adolphus. So, I'm the actor, then I'm the
actor playing Adolphus, and then the real
Adolphus."

Munchausen's shooting in Spain and at
Cinecitta Studios in Rome was often taxing
for both cast and crew. McKeown agrees. "I
think many people were exhausted at the
end, and I'm sorry that they didn't have
more fun on it than they might have done. It
was very grueling, though. I've never been
this close to the center of the making of a
picture before, and I was very interested in
it, so my fascination to some extent eased
the pain. Actually, living in Rome eased the
pain somewhat; that was very nice indeed!"

Brazil's shooting, likewise, was tough,
though not nearly as beset with problems as
Munchausen. The well-publicized problems
with Brazil took place after principal
photography had ended, when Universal
wanted Gilliam to change the movie's
downbeat ending.

"The request for the happy ending was
the most unsettling piece of news, and it was
certainly worth holding out for the original
ending. To have changed Terry's ending to a
happier, lighter ending would have really
rendered the entire film completely null and
void. It would have made nonsense of it. I
remember Terry getting bulletins of this bat-
tle from time to time, and watching the
stages of it drag on and consume peoples'
energies," says McKeown.

Although he only had a small role as a co-
worker at the Ministry of Information,
McKeown says the shooting of Brazil was
rigorous. "It went on for a long time, and
there was a great deal of model shooting,
and I remember Terry being absolutely ex-
hausted at the end. Although there was
some location stuff in Paris and South Lon-
don, it was mainly done in the studio in

Wembley. People were in artificial light for
months and months on end, and it was quite
hard going."

The Brazil script also involved playwright
Tom Stoppard working with McKeown and
Gilliam, though their collaboration didn't
prove as satisfactory as they might have
liked. "I actually talked to Terry about the
script before Tom Stoppard was involved,
and then Stoppard did some work on it.
Then, when Terry was in pre-production, he
wasn't entirely happy with certain aspects of
it, he came back to me with the script, and I
worked with him, I didn't work directly with
Stoppard on the script, just with Terry. We
went through it quite thoroughly; we chang-
ed its tone and altered a few scenes. I can't
remember precisely what changes were ef-
fected — it has been a few years now!"

Gotham Knights

Strangely, his successful collaborations
with Gilliam led him to work on the script of
Batman for director Tim Burton (STAR-
LOG #130). Burton had phoned the Python
office and asked them to recommend so-
(continued on page 64)

J

"To have changed Terry's ending to a
happier, lighter ending would have really
rendered the entire film completely null
and void," comments McKeown on the
infamous "Battle for Brazil."

Munchausen rides into the drink. But can
he gallop on water? Even if he can't— he'll
probably tell you he did.

Of Mouse/& Men

e/<

in the Tunnel world beneath our feet, David
Greenlee builds new legends of "Beauty &

the Beast."

By MARGARET A. BAROSKI

The trick with Beauty & the Beast is
that the title refers to Catherine as the
beauty and Vincent as the beast. But
the truth of the matter is that the beauty is
what's underground, what's between Vin-
cent and Catherine, and what's between
these other people and the beast is this
oligarchy on top, and this world that makes
violence possible," David Greenlee explains.
The young, blond, elfin actor who plays
Mouse in the TV fairy tale/fantasy ap-
proaches Beauty & the Beast with the inten-
sity he feels it deserves.

"1 love the show's politics, to put it blunt-
ly," he says. "For a long time, I thought I
was the only person who thought the show
had any politics or social statement because
we were doing fantasy. At first, I thought
Beauty & the Beast was a dumb idea. I
thought, 'Linda [Hamilton] must have lost
her mind,' but this is the kind of show that
anybody would do, if they had any sense."

Greenlee's character is one of the tunnel
denizens, a teenager who speaks in
telegraphic English and can build or fix
anything. He is, Greenlee says, grinning
cockily, "much like myself in some ways.
Mouse is what I would be if I was really
lucky. All my best points are Mouse." But
Mouse is not Greenlee. "My sister Tracy is
one of the people 1 think about a great deal
when I'm acting Mouse, because Tracy has
always been able to take a machine apart no
matter what, since we were little, even if she
didn't know what it was. She would put it
back together and fix it without knowing
how she fixed it," he explains.

Although the breakdown sent out to
casting directors specified "someone around
30 years old and dark, and very different
from myself," Greenlee explains, "George
R.R. Martin [Beauty & the Beast writer and
producer], my hero, and Tom Wright, one
of our prime directors, asked me to come in
for it, which I didn't know when I got there.
The reading was very strange because of
Mouse's syntax, everything all cut up. 1 read
some dialogue that eventually was cut from
Mouse's first episode, 'Shades of Grey,' and
1 was praying and sweating because there
was some stiff competition for the role. 1 left
saying, if 1 didn't nail that, I'm really going
to be upset.' It was only for one episode, but
when I read the script, I said, 'This character
will be back, if it gets in the right hands.' "

Now that Greenlee has portrayed Mouse
several times, coping with the way the
character talks is not a major problem. "It's
just that I have to really concentrate on the
words as written. Improvising is just out of
the question, and it's difficult to get

Where does Mouse hang out when he's
not seen on the show (or in photos from
it)? Well, Greenlee the actor attends SF
cons, but he would like it if the writers
explored what his character does on his
days off.

meaning through. Once, shooting a scene
with Vincent and Father, we did it four or
five times, and they said, 'Print!' and I said
'WaitV I had just realized what it meant,
and I didn't think it sounded that way at all.
But much of it is up to me."

He has more trouble with Mouse's age.
"I've played him as an adult, and they say
he's 16." Greenlee laughs maniacally.
"There were people who were bald with
beards reading for this part, so I just played
him like an adult, but then," he adds with
an air of teenage hopelessness, "people react
like he's a kid, so there's nothing I can do
about that. I would say he's probably 17,
but Mouse hasn't been counting either."

Mouse Traps

A 25 -year-old, self-styled hippie/beat -
nink/bohemian who reads Allen Ginsberg,
Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs, and
whose roots "go back to the pre-Woodstock
generation," Greenlee was born in Newport
Beach, California, and trained at South
Coast Repertory Theater, which was part of
the original theater movement of the 1960s.
He attended Orange Coast College, where
he "dabbled" in theater and treated the
college "like my playground, which was
fun," he says, reminiscing. "I was
very serious growing up, very
academic. I was good at almost
everything unless it involved
numbers, and then I could force
myself. I was a science whiz for a
while. Later, I was into words and
interested in the law, but,"
Greenlee's voice rises eerily
"not for loongV

His mad-scientist sort
of laugh echoes through
the room. "I spent a lot
of time on the left
brain, and then I
started acting, and
it all fell apart
Acting was the
first thing I
was good at
that wasn't
in a book
so I

just couldn't say no."

Greenlee also couldn't say no to four
seasons as nerdy Dwight Mendenhall on
Fame, his "claim to fame," as he redun-
dantly and deliberately phrases it. "Dwight
Mendenhall has been probably the most
rewarding, certainly, in terms of career," he
says, "but what I had the most fun doing
was Toby Ross in 'The Toys of Caliban'
episode of The Twilight Zone. I was a
retarded psychic who could materialize
things. That was fun because it was crawling
around on the floor, slobbering and rolling
my eyes doing a wonderful script with
Richard Mulligan."

Being known for Fame has made
Greenlee fairly casual about being recogniz-
ed for Beauty & the Beast. "I've been
famous for a while now, although most peo-
ple, when they think famous, think Mick
Jagger. There's a concept that if you go out,

MARGARET BAROSKI is a Pennsylvania
based writer. She profiled Gareth Thomas in
STARLOG #139.

you cannot get a moment's rest, and that's
not how it is. You must be really famous
before you can't walk to the drugstore."

Fame fans sometimes unnerve him, he
notes. "You're walking down the street and
suddenly 12 teenage kids are circling you;
you can't move, they're being nice, but
it's. . . " he trails off, remembering. "People
from Beauty & the Beast don't seem to be
that way at all. It's very respectful; it's very
sweet. The show deserves it — people give
you the same sort of attitude that people in
the tunnels give to others. The show hits
people right in the heart; it goes to the
dreams."

Beauty & the Beast apparently has
Greenlee's heart, and on the subject of Vin-
cent, he is eloquent. "He's such a beautiful
character, and for Mouse to be around him
so much is wonderful. Vincent allows peo-
ple's stoppers to be opened up, because
looking the way he looks and being the way
he is lets people say, 'I could do this.' Mouse
probably can't write, but he could probably
build the Hoover Dam, and it's knowing

"Mouse is what I would be if i was reaiiy

lucky," admits David Greenlee.

Vincent that has let that happen, the ex-
treme amount of work that Vincent has put
in on Mouse to make him a part of society."
A sweet smile lights up on Greenlee's impish
features as he sums up the relationship:
"Mouse loves Vincent very much."

Greenlee points out, however, that Mouse
and Vincent didn't always share such a pro-
found relationship. "We've found out that
Mouse has been living in the tunnels since he
was very small, I would say about six, and
he was an orphan for years before that, and
very used to living on his own," Greenlee
explains. "When he found the tunnels, he
didn't speak to anybody down there for a
long time. Nobody even saw him, they just
saw him dashing around and so they named
him Mouse. Eventually, Vincent captured
him— Vincent's a cat so he caught the
mouse and tamed him. Mouse was kicking
and screaming, and had to be held and tied.
Vincent and Father basically raised him, but
it's Vincent who is his hero."

The show's writers get top marks from
Greenlee. "George R.R. Martin — viscerally,
I sense much of the show in him, and in Ron
Koslow, the show's creator. They're the
ones that I get the show's spirit from. I like
George's writing the best. I worked with his
writing on The Twilight Zone, and it was
very good there, too. The 'Fever' episode
was excellent as well. The writing has a very
high quality, and it's difficult because of the
fantasy level and that romance, especially on
Linda and Ron [Perlman]; it really puts
demands on their acting skills to do lines like
'Vincent, I've never been so afraid in my
life. I could see the whirlpool of
darkness. . . '

"Roy Dotrice has many lines that on
paper look like honey and syrup and almost
gothic. I read them and moan, but then I
don't even notice when they say them,
because they're very talented actors. It's
great that they can take something to that
level."

"That level" is what is called "high con-
cept," and Greenlee attempts to explain the
term. "It has to do with not being about a
family in a house, something where you've
invented another world. With Fame, I could
just show up wearing whatever I wanted.
The show wasn't that different, par-
ticularly — my character was, because I was
playing a nerd — but with this, every little
thing has to be right. I've even started wear-
ing my crystal on an old piece of leather in-
stead of on metal because the metal picks up
[on camera]. You're creating a place and
time that couldn't be down the street; it has
to be in space, or tomorrow, or Shangri-La.
I find Beauty & the Beast very plausible. My
early training was in Shakespeare, and this
has really been the first time that my per-
sonal acting style has fit in. There's a
romance about Beauty & the Beast, a
classicality that's bigger than mine, and
that's what I like about it."

Greenlee has no qualms about ap-
proaching the writers on behalf of his
character. "They're sensitive writers, and
any sensitive writer is going to listen a little
bit. If something came along that made me

very uncomfortable, I would go and talk
about it, but I can't imagine these particular
writers and producers harming the character
in any way. So far, they've been more inven-
tive than 1 could hope for— and I have been
thinking about pitching them a script idea or
two. I've been working on a story with a
friend of mine, not so much for Mouse, as it
is for me to write."

The actor does have his own ideas about
how Mouse should develop. "I would like
to see some more things happen with Jamie,
who has been a little love interest. She's as
calm and sweet as can be, and when you
have two leads who haven't kissed. . ." he
leaves the sentence unfinished, obviously in-
trigued and amused by the thought.

"I would like that. And I would like to
see Mouse start dealing with his respon-
sibilities within the community, because
there's a firm social structure down there;
there are things that must be done, and peo-
ple's talents as they're needed need to be
used. When you need somebody thrown
across a room, it's good to have Vincent,
and when you need a tunnel dug, or if
there's a mechanical emergency, Mouse is
very necessary. But never having had a real
up-top life, he doesn't have much
understanding of that. He understands
when it's life or death, but when Father's
saying, 'Six months from now, there's going
to be this, and therefore we need to do that,'
it's really hard for Mouse to get responsible
and project into the future and actually be a
part of the community."

Pondering for a moment, he adds,
"There are two women who take care of the
children; 1 would like to see some of that. I
would like to see where Mouse has been,
and maybe even a friend, somebody close to
Mouse's age."

Mouse Tales

A bona fide science-fiction and fantasy
fan, Greenlee says he's also a first genera-
tion Star Trek fan. "I've been a Trekkie
since Trekkies were born," he boasts. "I
met Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley and
William Shatner at my cousin's wedding
when she married one of the cameramen
from the original Star Trek in the first
season. They were the first professional ac-
tors I ever met, or saw. I was
small — Nimoy's kneecaps were at eye
level!"

He reads science-fiction short stories,
watches science-fiction television, loves
movies like Willow and admires Arthur C.
Clarke, "one of the most brilliant minds on
the planet," whom he once met on the set of
Fame when 2010 was being shot next door.
"I've always read and watched science fic-
tion. It's creating science, and for me, art
and technology are real close. When either
of them are really good, they come really
close together. Magic, they all look like
magic whenever they do."

He watches the magic of Beauty & the
Beast with friends and his black cat,
Solstice, in his home in downtown
Hollywood, an apartment building which he
describes as "crawling with actors of all

The actor's own youthful looks have led to confusion about Mouse's age, but
Greenlee maintains he's playing the character as an adult.

sorts, artists and writers, the perfect com-
bination of dorm life and big-cityness." He
tries to decide if Mouse fits into the show,
worrying that the noisy, yelling character is
disrupting to the tone set by the other ac-
tors, for whom he has nothing but the
highest praise. "Everyone in the cast is so
extraordinarily talented. With Linda, it's
really nice because I've known her before,
so she's like a pal. I had a lot to do with Lin-
da in the first episode I did, and I took some
risks I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't
known her. She's one of the most beautiful
women in television and movies with or
without makeup. Ron Perlman is just top-
flight. Roy Dotrice is state-of-the-art. He's a
sweetheart-and-a-half. Anybody that
talented, who will work so hard on a crutch,
with a broken hip, he's my hero," Greenlee
confides, revealing, "I keep stepping on
Roy's feet! It's awful — I hope I can stop!"
His visibility as Mouse has led to other
TV work. "I got a lot of work when I
started Beauty & the Beast. As a matter of
fact, it caused some conflicts, so I had to
juggle and didn't get to do one of the Beauty
episodes because of another commitment. I
did 21 Jump Street, Mr. Belvedere and It's
Gary Shandling's Show, which is more fun

than a barrel of monkeys. But, hey! I have
the best season of my life ahead of me!"

Beauty & the Beast is fun, says Greenlee,
"even though it's dirty, filthy work. I come
home dirtier than my father, who built
houses for a living. I take two-hour showers
sometimes, because I'm the dirtiest on the
show. When there are three people paid to
throw dirt at you all day, there's not much
you can do but get dirty."

He laughs as he insists that "we never
make any mistakes," but he will admit to
one bit of humor during filming. "Roy
Dotrice has a habit of calling my character
'Moose' about one in 10 times, and that has
created many good outtakes. Nothing really
silly has happened, which is extraordinary,
considering the ridiculous things we're do-
ing." The reason for that, he says, is that
"there's a really good camaraderie, a great
deal of seriousness. Beauty & the Beast re-
quires commitment and concentration."

Then, David Greenlee grins. "Every day
is incredibly strange there. Anytime you
walk in and see someone with Vincent's
face, wearing Ron's clothes, leaning back in
a chair and talking to his agent on the
phone, you rub your eyes and say, 'What
was in the punch?!' " ^

STARLOGAWarc/? 1989 51

i Nigel Kneale

t The Quatermass

mtmmmmJbmuiU^

4--

By BILL WARREN

Britain's greatest living SF screenwriter

remembers his nights with alien invaders,

demonic insects and Moon Men.

V !

Five Million Years to Earth (a.k.a.

Quatermass and the Pit), in which

Quatermass (Andrew Keir) and Roney

(James Donald) discover an alien

spaceship in London's underground, is

creator Nigel Kneale's (inset) favorite

Quatermass.

In the last installment, British television
writer Nigel Kneale, considered by many
to be the finest writer of science fiction
written directly for television, talked about
his earliest days in TV, about how he came
to write the famous The Quatermass Experi-
ment and his classic version of George
Orwell's 1984.

Kneale believes that all three of the
movies based on his Quatermass tele-
plays — The Creeping Unknown, Enemy
from Space and Five Million Years to
Earth — are diluted versions of his original
stories. Yet these are so highly regarded
among American SF enthusiasts that to con-
sider the possibility of the originals being
better is truly mind-boggling.

STARLOG: In Quatermass 2, the aliens
have infiltrated the government. Was that
idea intended as commentary on the whole
communist-witch hunt period?
NIGEL KNEALE: No, I'll tell you what it
was. At that time, in England certainly, we
were getting many mysterious projects.
They were putting up those big golfball
radar domes or something like that on the
coast of Scotland for the Distant Early
Warning system, and other projects, some
of which were totally non-military— but
nobody knew what they were. There was a
great tendency in England for secrecy on
government projects at that time, and prob-
ably still. English government secrets are be-
ing waved about all over, of course, at the
moment, but in the '50s, there was a feeling,
somehow a hangover from the war when
{there had been much very necessary secrecy,
Ithat there was now much unnecessary
secrecy, but it had somehow dribbled on.
They got in the habit of being secret, and in
the '50s, people were getting tired of
it— high time to have it stopped.
STARLOG: There are some fine scenes in
Quatermass 2 where the workers are angry
at the suggestion that they should have ques-
tioned the secrecy. They had been working
on the plant while unknowingly helping an
alien invasion. That seems to be a sweet
commentary on the common man allowing
the government to do what it will with them.
KNEALE: It's true. You see, they got their
wages regularly; they were paid well every
week for working on a special project. I
think that's still true today— they don't
notice because they don't want to notice
anything wrong — it doesn't concern them.
"I'm all right, Jack."

STARLOG: I understand that you were
even less happy with Brian Donlevy's per-
| formance as Quatermasss in the film version
i of Quatermass 2, Enemy From Space!
j> KNEALE: Yes, time had rolled on and so
i had many other things, and flowed, too.
| Donlevy was less interested and less apt, and
I probably didn't really want to do it. I think
1 he was horrified when he saw the script and
i .

! BILL WARREN, veteran STARLOG cor-
i respondent, is the author of Keep Watch-
: ing the Skies Vols. 1 & 2 (McFarland,
j $39.95 each). His interview with Nigel
| Kneale began in STARLOG #139.

realized how much running about he had to
do, because he had become a bit portly and
he didn't enjoy it at all. He was clearly
bored by the semi-scientific bits that he
didn't want to bother himself to understand.
STARLOG: I have a copy of the film's
shooting script. Several scenes that you in-
cluded were taken out by the director, such
as the family down by the beach.
KNEALE: That's right; those were all in the
TV show, the best bits.
STARLOG: They were also intended to be
in the film. Did that cause any bad feelings
between you and director Val Guest?
KNEALE: Well, no, we didn't have any
bad feelings, except that it seemed to get fur-
ther and further away from the film script
that I had written, for reasons of economy.
We didn't have a great buddy relationship,
if that's what you mean.
STARLOG: The teleplay's climax takes
place in space, where Quatermass discovers
his best friend has been taken over by the
aliens.

KNEALE: Yes, I liked that. Think what
Steven Spielberg could do with that today,
with the asteroid reaching out its tentacles.
But what effects we had— again, it was six
episodes long. By five, they had completely
run out of money, and the designer said,
"What can I do? I've got to put a satellite or
something like it into space." In the insert
film, of the satellite, it actually turned out
OK. We had tentacles coming out of the
craters in the satellite, and drew them back

In Enemy from Space's cinematic adaptation, the teleplay's ending went earthbound.

STARLOG/Ma/r/j 1989 53

into it, then printed the film in reverse.

But the bit where Quatermass had to
come walking past with his suitably
magnetic boots almost didn't work; luckily,
there was some metallic substance on the
thing he was walking on, so it stuck him
down. The ship was, in fact, made of any
kind of rubbish they could find. That was
one of the hairiest things I've ever seen.
They had to dress up Quatermass and his
second in command — played by Hugh Grif-
fith, by the way — during a live performance.

Five Million Years to Earth was the first to
use a full screenplay by Nigel Kneale.

They were put into space suits made of solid
rubber; they did not flex. They weren't very
expensive, but it was the most the BBC
could afford. The actors were strapped into
these things which were tied together in the
middle with boot laces, because that was the
only way to hold them together. By now,
the BBC had actually something like a
special FX department consisting of two
men, who were both very good and were
good friends of mine. They had rockets tak-
ing off and things like that which worked
pretty well. At the last moment, in the last
episode, when these two characters had to
be trussed up in space suits, the two special
FX men came on, playing technicians, to
make sure things hooked together all right,
so there weren't any major gaps around the
actors' midriffs.

That was the way it was. In those days,
the audience was much more forgiving; they
knew there would be some rough edges
because they were watching live material. It
was rather like a Japanese or Chinese
drama, where you see the property man car-
rying things in and putting them on the
stage; you eliminate him from your think-
ing. You don't see him. So when things
went wrong on live television, you
eliminated them. You couldn't do anything
like that today; today it would be total
realism.

STARLOG: The climax of the film we in
America know as Enemy From Space
doesn't take place in space as it does in the
teleplay. Instead, it occurs in giant domes.
When the domes explode and these big rub-

All Quatermass Conclusion Photos: Copyright Thames Television

The fourth film in the series, The Quatermass Conclusion, was actually a reworked
version of the TV footage.

bery shambling things come out, did that
disappoint you?

KNEALE: We had a version of those, too,
in the BBC play, but it went on a bit longer
and you finally got to the pair in space.
STARLOG: Was this the budget again?
KNEALE: Yes, and the BBC didn't have
much of a budget, either. With the film, it
was partly the length. Again, we're shrink-
ing three solid hours of entertainment into
one-and-a-half, and many things have to go.
STARLOG: In that sense, the one that was
probably adapted the best was Quatermass
and the Pit because it includes virtually all of
the teleplay's ideas.

KNEALE: Yes. That was the first time I was
allowed to do the screenplay by myself, with
nobody else getting credit, so it was all my
own work.

STARLOG: Of the films, is that the one
you like the best?

KNEALE: I think it is, yes. It was also the
one on which Hammer spent the most
money, and it didn't have Mr. Donlevy, so
it had all sorts of virtues. It was in color.
STARLOG: It had the beautiful Barbara
Shelley, too.

KNEALE: The lady who had hard times in
many films.

STARLOG: And James Donald, who plays
Roney, the man who sacrifices himself.
KNEALE: He's a very good actor.
STARLOG: The very last shot of James
Donald as he comes toward the camera,
towards Hob, tells worlds. It's one of the
finest moments in a Hammer film.
KNEALE: He's very good. In the television
version, we had a very good Canadian actor
named Cec Linder, a very nice man. We had
more pattern-making there. Quatermass was
the man in the middle in that story, and on
the wrong side was the unpopular and
fascistic Colonel Breen, a very rigid
creature. On the other side was a very nice,
much more evolved person in humanitarian
terms, Roney, and that was Cec Linder,
who's a very warm actor and gave an ex-
tremely attractive performance. He sacrific-
ed himself at the end in a different way; he
wasn't up in a crane, he had a long piece of
chain which he hurled up into Hob — he
hurled very well, by the way. There is very
little to choose between the two lots of ac-
tors there, in the TV version and the film.
STARLOG: I also like the man who played
Breen very much.

KNEALE: Julian Glover [STARLOG #52].
He lives right here in Barnes. A very good
actor. Also in it was Tony Bushell, who
played in many of Laurence Olivier's
Shakespearean films.

STARLOG: Why were there different
Quatermasses in each TV production?
KNEALE: Well, Reginald Tate, the original
actor, died just as we were about to do the
second one, which was very shocking. He
had simply taken on such a workload that it
killed him. He was in virtually every BBC
production; just as people will, he overload-
ed himself and died quite suddenly of a
heart attack. So on short notice, John
Robinson valiantly stepped into the breach.
On the third, we had more time to think,

54 STARLOG/Marc/j 1989

and cast Andre Morell.
STARLOG: It's surprising that Morell
didn't play Quatermass in the film, because
he had done quite a few Hammer films, in-
cluding playing Dr. Watson to Peter
Cushing's Sherlock Holmes in Hound of the
Baskervilles.

KNEALE: I presume he wasn't in the film
because he simply wasn't available.
STARLOG: Andrew Keir was an interesting
choice. The Americans who like Brian
Donlevy as Quatermass like his brusque
directness, and Keir has some of that. That's
what Americans were expecting.
KNEALE: Andre Morell played Quater-
mass as a club man, a very sophisticated
English character, which worked extremely
well because of the contrast with the other
two. He was the recognizable, decent chap;
he didn't have to be very aggressive, he had
to be likable and a bit ordinary, and highly
moral because this whole thing was started
by his strong objection to having his outfit
taken over by the military.
STARLOG: Among your videotapes here,
it's particularly interesting to see 2001: A
Space Odyssey in your collection because
that and Five Million Years to Earth, the
film version of Quatermass and the Pit,
opened in the same year. Some of the same
ideas were behind both films.
KNEALE: That's true. I may say it came as
a small shock to me when they went down
into an excavation [in 2001], which I had not
very long left, and found a large, upstanding
thing like shiny plastic. This scene was
almost an exact replica of a scene in Quater-
mass and the Pit, the original BBC TV ver-
sion, which had a deep excavation (shot at
the old Ealing Studios) about 30 feet deep.
Characters walked down a ramp and out on
the muddy floor. They encountered a huge
space artifact. What echoes. Not deliberate,
of course, but interesting.

Upon seeing 2001, Kneale was surprised as to how much that film's Moon excavation
scene mirrored his own Quatermass and the Pit.

STARLOG: In America, many fans- view
2001 and Quatermass and the Pit as
bookends of the same idea. 2001 was the
cold, intellectual view of the same idea that
is warm and friendly and fireside in your
film. Yours is the pub version, and theirs is
the observatory version.
KNEALE: My working material is really
character actors, and my stories were earth-
bound stories that had a kind of space
dimension, but for purely budget reasons,
they had to be a really limited space dimen-
sion. The budget provides a restriction; it
makes it a challenge, as they say, and you
work around that and use the material that
you've been given, and make the most of it.
STARLOG: Can you trace the evolution of

All Five Million Years to Earth Photos: Copyright 1968 Hammer Films

your ideas in Quatermass and the Pit! It's
such an astonishing thing; you explain all of
humanity in 90 minutes.
KNEALE: I couldn't guess now, in thinking
that far back, a long time ago, what par-
ticular thing started it. I think it was very
simple, really. I was talking to Rudy Cartier
[producer/director of previous Kneale TV
plays] and said, "Well, suppose you dug a
hole and found a spacecraft." He said,
"That's good, let's do it."
STARLOG: Then you had to come up with
what was inside the spacecraft.
KNEALE: Exactly. And then justify it. You
go from there. You work in London history
because London was very good for that,
particularly at that time, because they were
still rebuilding all the bombed areas in the
City of London. In fact, I think they opened
with a bit of film sequence shot down in
Cheapside, which will now be covered with
some very high blocks of offices. I set it in
Knightsbridge because it was being rebuilt at
a great speed, and again had great holes and
people digging down and down and down, a
hundred feet. You would see people peering
through boards around them, holding the
spectators back.

STARLOG: And they found unexploded
bombs frequently?

KNEALE: Yes, they did. Still do; there was
one only a few weeks ago. The place is prob-
ably full of them. They all fell, and some of
them didn't go bang, and so they're still
down there.

STARLOG: None of them are full of Mar-
tian grasshoppers, are they?
KNEALE: Not so far.
STARLOG: Unlike the previous three
outings, The Quatermass Conclusion
feature film with John Mills as Quatermass
was derived from exactly the same footage
shot for the TV show. I understand you

Roney (James Donald) makes his
memorable last stand against Hob.

STARLOG/Ma/rA 1989 55

t

After The Quatermass Conclusion, admits Kneale, the doctor is "good and dead."

designed the script so they could "cut on the
dotted lines," as it were, and extract a tidy
feature from the longer TV version.
KNEALE: The intention was as you
describe but it didn't really work because the
story wasn't written at its natural, proper
length. One version was too slow and the
other, too fast. The serial version came off
best, I think. But overall, the production
lacked real menace and tension, and there
was some miscasting. I don't mean John
Mills, who had sincere and justified worries
about the way the thing was going, and
fought hard to lend strength to it.

I can accept responsibility for the basic
concept — some power we never see sucking
human gatherings off the Earth for a prob-
ably trivial purpose, like present-day use of
animals to test cosmetics — being a bit
unoriginal, but there was a lot of dramatic
development in the screenplay. The resulting
production was curiously unexciting. One
example: the young people who swarm
everywhere, calling themselves Planet Peo-
ple, were clearly scripted as deranged and
dangerous dervishes. They came out as dim,
wimpish flower-children.
STARLOG: The evocation of a near,
troubled future was satisfying. ,
KNEALE: The sets were excellent and ex-
pensive, but that wasn't enough. The show
didn't measure up at all against the original
of the 1950s. There never were any other
Quatermass ideas contemplated, and no
more are planned. He's good and dead.
STARLOG: What about The Devil's Own,
one of the last gasps of Hammer?
KNEALE: This was shown as The Witches
here and was based on a novel by a lady, yes
lady, called Peter Curtis. .1 worked on it with
old pal Tony Hinds, though the final pro-
ducer was Anthony Nelson Keys. It took
quite a lot of rethinking, I remember. The

book's big scene was when somebody filmed
a witchcraft ritual in a dark church with an
8mm camera, optimism over experience. It
wasn't a bad movie and had some very good
acting in it. It only died at the end when the
witches turned out laughable. But then, wit-
ches probably would.

STARLOG: Was it your fame from the TV
productions that led you to writing such
features as Look Back in Anger and The
Entertainer!

KNEALE: Well, I remember doing a little
adaptation of an Anton Chekhov story for
Tony Richardson, who had directed a ver-
sion of John Osborne's Look Back in Anger
on the stage. At that time, I was believed to
be craftier at television technique than some,
and he thought that, well, film isn't that dif-
ferent from television, so let's have a go. As
we had worked together happily, let's work
together again. And so we did Look Back in
Anger, based on the play. We decided to
break it up and take it outside, and it lost
some of the play's claustrophobic feel, but
I'm not sure we could have simply filmed
that play straight. It needed opening out.
STARLOG: Was The Entertainer, based on
another Osborne play, a closer adaptation?
KNEALE: Again, the same thing happened.
Harry Saltzman had produced Look Back
in Anger, so when we made that, Harry
came again and said, "I want to do The
Entertainer. Will you do the script?" I was
in the unfortunate position of not having
seen the play. Of course, Laurence Olivier
had had a great success, and knew all the
places where he got a laugh, so it was very
difficult to write a screenplay just for its own
sake. He said, "I got a laugh on that line, so
leave it in," and the film became, I'm
afraid, terribly indulgent, on the part of the
director, Tony. It was grotesquely long, two
and three-quarter hours, which could not be

justified, so it was cut. Then, it got a curious
kind of hopping rhythm. It still contains
Olivier's excellent performance.

It may have been his best stage perfor-
mance, but it was a bad film, as a film,
simply because there were so many distrac-
tions. Vivien Leigh was falling to pieces, go-
ing gently mad; she was acting at a local
theater, being directed by Tony Richardson,
who was directing this film. He was worn
out trying to deal with Vivien.
STARLOG: And, of course, he was also
directing her former husband, Olivier.
KNEALE: Exactly. It was terribly taut. I
had written a screenplay for this genius ac-
tor, but I had not seen this genius actor in
this part. It couldn't have been worse. If
Saltzman hadn't pressed for it, I probably
wouldn't have done it. I don't know what
they should have done; maybe they
shouldn't have made the film at all.
STARLOG: How did you come to write
First Men in the Moon!
KNEALE: I have no idea how it originated.
But they were about to do it, and wanted
somebody to write the script. It wasn't that
long since the last of the Quatermass things
on television, so I suppose they thought,
"Well, it's science fiction, get Kneale."
STARLOG: How did your screenplay differ
from the finished film? It's known that Jan
Read added the woman to the script after
you had finished. Yours was closer to the
book perhaps?

KNEALE: Yes, it was. The Moon stuff was
more or less the same. They wanted to jazz
it up, make it funnier than I had imagined.
Really, I thought it was a good story as it
was, but they wanted it funnier, so they had
a comedian, Lionel Jeffries, play a lead
part. He's fine as a comedy performer, a
lovely actor, but it wasn't the way I had seen
(continued on page 62)

56 STARLOG/ March 1989

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«

The Guests of

OLIVER CRAWFORD'S
"LAST BATTLEFIELD"

While Oliver Crawford has written for
numerous episodic television series, it
is his forays into the world of science fiction
that he has found most intriguing. That's
because science fiction has allowed him to
deal with issues usually considered taboo.

"It's not that I'm particularly a fan of the
genre," he observes. "I never approach that
kind of show from a science-fiction point-
of-view. Everything that I've written — and I
know this sounds both profound and corny
at the same time — has come from the belief
that the essence of a writer is to bring some
illumination to the human condition. You
try to make a statement about a universal
truth, and it's the situation that counts. You
can make it a Western, if it takes place a
hundred years ago, or science fiction, if it
takes place 500 years from now. The point is
that the people in the story remain the same.
At the same time, you must cater to what
television is, so through the years, I've
managed to blend the two."

Crawford admits that he is something of a
survivor in Hollywood, having successfully
rebounded from the days of McCarthyism
and blacklisting of the 1950s.

"Two hundred writers were blacklisted
from 1953 to 1957," Crawford explains.
"Of them, only 10 percent were able to

58 STARLOG/March 1989

He may not be a science-fiction fan, but
Oliver Crawford confesses that "Star Trek
did make an impact" on him.

recover their careers, and I was always
grateful to be among them. People have
often said, 'How could the blacklist hap-
pen?', but it's amazing what can happen:
what form intolerance can take, as well as
intimidation. I like to think that any situa-
tion you're involved with during the course
of your life equips you to become a better
person and, in my case, a better writer."

One such example is evident in
Crawford's sole effort for The Outer Limits,
titled "The Special One."

"After Russia launched Sputnik [and put
| men into space], John F. Kennedy said that
2 America would have someone on the Moon
s in 10 years," he explains. "The government
= went around to all the schools in the country
=? to try to pick the best and brightest for the
1 space program. My son had been chosen out
o of his class, and was subject to special
| classes and all of that. I was very apprehen-
£ sive because I didn't want Big Brother loom-
ing, but they said that they would study him
as he got older to see how he shaped up. I
was particularly proud that he had the kind
of I.Q. that made him stand out.

"Ultimately, he dropped out of the pro-
gram and never got into the final college
phase, but in the meantime, I thought,
'Jesus, what if I took that situation, and in-
stead of it being the United States Govern-
ment looking for astronauts for the space
program,' which was then in its infancy, 'it's
somebody from another planet using the
same method to train new leaders to take
over the world for them. So, that's what I
wrote, and it was a very personal story. I'm
very proud of that piece of writing."

While he also scripted episodes for such
Irwin Allen series as Voyage to the Bottom
of the Sea and Land of the Giants, they
don't stir the same kind of memories.

"It's difficult now at this phase of my
life," admits the 70-year-old Crawford, "to
remember how I wrote so much material. I
do remember that my kids used to wonder
what the heck I was doing all that time, but
when they started catching shows in reruns,
they and their friends were suddenly im-
pressed. The stories that I enjoy reading and
writing deal with what's happening now.
How can we best reflect it? Of course, with
censorship and the fact that everything a TV

Having Lokai's (Lou Antonio) colors
reversed on his arch-enemy "was a
marvelous cinematic effect," says Crawford.

writer wrote was an appendage to a sales
message, you had to find a common ground
that wouldn't alienate sponsors, and still
find a way of telling your stories. I tried to
stay away from gimmickry, and I think my
scripts for Star Trek fell into that line."

Crawford wrote a total of three scripts for
Star Trek, working with both Gene Rod-
denberry and Fred Freiberger. His initial ef-
fort was "The Galileo Seven," rewritten by
Shimon Wincelberg, in which an Enterprise
shuttlecraft crashes on an alien world, and
the crew is forced to struggle for survival in
a hostile environment.

"I did the story and teleplay for that
one," the writer details, "and then, as often
happens, someone else was called in. They
probably felt that I had run dry on the idea
and came as far as I could, and they got
Shimon to do a polish, just as I had done for
other Star Treks and other shows.

"Most of my approach as a writer had
been to look to old movies and say, 'Gee,
this would make a good Star Trek, or a
good Western, or a good detective story.'
The foundation for 'The Galileo Seven' was
actually an old [1939] motion picture called
Five Came Back. That was about a plane
crash in the Andes, and the survivors who
have to deal with head-hunters over the next
hill. I remembered it because it was such a
dramatic gimmick, a very tight one.

"This is a way that you grab the produ-
cer's interest," he notes. "If it was a Wes-
tern, when Westerns were popular, you
would say, 'I can put The Maltese Falcon in-
to a Western setting.' That's immediately in-
triguing. They say, 'You can't. How does it

An old movie, not a mysterious quasar,
was the real reason "The Galileo Seven"
had to fight for their lives on Tarsus II.

fit into our format? You say, 'This old pros-
pector finds some icon from a past civiliza-
tion, now you send the forces in.' Because
it's a remake of The Maltese Falcon, the
producer wants to make it work. It's a
springboard to get you in there and com-
mand their attention. I suppose it's like
reading a book. If you aren't grabbed by the
first 10 pages, sometimes you put the book
down."

Next up was the third season episode
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," in
which two survivors of a racially motivated
alien war battle to the death aboard the
Enterprise. The source of their hatred for
each other is that one is white on the left side
of his face and black on the other, while his
counterpart's colors are reversed.

"That was originally a Gene Coon story
that was brought to me," Crawford relates.
"It dealt with racial intolerance, and I
thought it was a marvelous visual and

Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) meeting with Droxine (Diana Ewing) and "The Cloud
Minders" went through three different writers before reaching the screen.
"Television," Crawford notes, "is a collaborative medium."

cinematic effect. The whole point of the
story was that color is only skin deep. How
could any writer not respond to that? That
fit right into today's scene, and I was very
pleased with the episode."

"The Cloud Minders," which Crawford
rewrote, is perhaps the source of more con-
troversy than any other script written for the
series. In a situation well documented in the
pages of STARLOG (see issues #39-40),
David Gerrold wrote the first draft teleplay,
which third season producer Fred Freiberger
didn't like. The script was handed to
Crawford, who also turned in a draft which
proved unsatisfactory to Freiberger. From
there, Margaret Armen (STARLOG #125)
did the final aired version.

"David Gerrold was a young writer, and
his script kind of wandered all over," says
Crawford. "I recall Freddy calling me up
and saying, T want to put an old pro
together with a young writer.' Writers are
constantly wounded, but television is very
much a collaborative medium. To get the
happy circumstance where everything gels
and everybody's talent enhances everybody

According to Crawford, the ancient riddle
of racial intolerance posed by Bele (Frank
Gorshin) still "fits Into today's scene."

else's is tough to achieve, but worth it when
you do. When people go off on tangents,
you find that you don't have much of
anything. I know very few writers who are
happy with all of their work as produced,
unless they're in a position of power and not
too many of us are.

"I did think that 'The Cloud Minders'
was right in line with the good work and
thrust of the series," Crawford elaborates.
"It was almost like a Brave New World, The
key thing there was exploitation, and that's
something we must deal with all the time."

While oblivious to the shift in the series'
focus between the second and third seasons,
Oliver Crawford believes that Star Trek's
death on NBC was due to a tragic oversight
on the network's part.

"I think that Star Trek did make an im-
pact originally," he concludes, "it's just
that NBC underestimated their audience
and lived and died by the ratings system.
The kids who ultimately became the Trek
fans didn't control the sets. Their parents
did. The generation that grew up on it did so
when the series was in syndication, and
that's what ultimately saved it. It had basic
human story values. Star Trek was a series
that tried to say something to the audience."
— Edward Gross

STARLOG/March 1989 59

Realizing they were "dealing with morons,"
Spock (Nimoy) is forced to try a somewhat
stronger argument on Bela Oxmyx
(Anthony Caruso).

\2

a.

For only "A Piece of the Action," how can Spock (Nimoy) and Kirk (William Shatner)
go wrong letting this kid (Sheldon Collins) help them bust into Krako's joint?

JAMES KOMACK BETS

ON "A PIECE OP THE

ACTION"

One of Starfleet Command's most strin-
gent rules is the Prime Directive, which
forbids its members from interfering with
the natural development of alien worlds.
Despite this edict, there have occasionally
been Starfleet officers who have "influenc-
ed" new societies, altering their way of life
forever. The results are usually disastrous,
though sometimes hilarious.

In the Star Trek episode "A Piece of the
Action," the Enterprise is sent to Sigma
Iotia II to study the nature of the
sociological contamination left behind a
hundred years earlier by the starship
Horizon. What they find is a planet model-
ed after Roaring Twenties Chicago.
Writer/director James Komack, who co-
starred with Bill Bixby in The Courtship of
Eddie 's Father and is preparing a Welcome
Back, Kotter TV reunion, recalls "A Piece
of the Action" affectionately.

"In those days, I was a journeyman direc-
tor in television," he says, "having done 77
Sunset Strip, Dr. Kildare, Hennesey, The
Dick Van Dyke Show and so on. Gene Rod-
denberry wanted to do a comedy episode
and I was a natural contender because I had
done long form and was a comedy director.
I had really enjoyed the show, read the
script, made some adjustments and said, 'I
would love to do this,' and I found myself
on the starship Enterprise.

60 STARLOG/Ma/rA 1989

"Usually," Komack notes, "when you're
a director working on episodic television,
the actors mostly know their parts, who they
are and what they do, and all you're doing is
trying to find new ways for them to move
around. The acting was already locked in
because they had done it. This was fun
because it was a comedy, and Bill Shatner
loves to do comedy."

One problem the director did not have to
deal with was the cast's refusing to do cer-
tain things because they weren't right for
their roles.

"Usually, that comes about after they've
formulated their characters," he explains.
"When you come on a show, they say, 'I've
been doing this show for three years. I
would never say that.' You can't argue with
the guy. In this episode, though, I could say,
'Hold it. You're down in the 20th century,
pal. You're dealing with morons. You've
never done that before, so therefore you
could say this.' And they would buy it. But
not in the spaceship. In the spaceship, they
had it down, and it was so goddamned
technical. We were talking about the
ramifications of the polarization of some
kind of thing in the atmosphere. I didn't
know what they were talking about, but
they did. They've got it all figured out.

"Something that was fun for me,"
elaborates Komack, "was having Spock and
Kirk come down with this great intellect and
intelligence that they possess, and having
them deal with monkeys. These guys had an
I.Q. of about room temperature. It was fun-
ny to convince the actor to play that, and
then watch Kirk and Spock stare at them
because they were just so ludicrous. That
was great fun."

Trying to maintain Star Trek's future
reality while combining it with the Chicago
of the past was more complex, however.

"That was tough," he concurs,
"remembering that these guys were from
another time while we're trying to make a
picture about the '20s. You constantly have
to say that it has to be the '20s from
everyone else's point-of-view, and 'future
time' for Leonard Nimoy and William
Shatner, and that did get a little bizarre. The
joke going around them was that they had
never seen a machine-gun fire before, they
had never seen pool tables or cars. We
would have to work out the jokes right then
and there. You would have to say, 'Wait a
minute. You've never seen that before. I've
got to shoot something showing that.' "

Like most good comedy, a great deal of
"A Piece of the Action" was improvised,
particularly the Fizzbin card game played by
Captain Kirk and a group of dim-witted
gangsters.

"They just sat down and did it," Komack
laughs. "Shatner really thought of this idea,
and I embellished it. Since I was a writer, it
was very easy to add the corrective to get us
onto the next beat."

Still, the shooting moved a bit slower than
Komack had expected, due to some of the
episode's physical action.

"The gangster scenes in the room were all

On a planet where anyone could "hit"
anybody anywhere, the Federation's boys
(Deforest Kelley, Shatner, Nimoy) found
even they weren't untouchable.

fine," he explains. "The exterior stuff with
the cars going by, bullets going off and them
hitting the ground, and making some kind
of reality out of a backlot, was a little more
difficult. I had done action before where the
company was more oriented to do that kind
of work, but Star Trek wasn't really
prepared for it. They weren't used to it, and
so it was a little slower for me."

While proud of the fact that the episode is
so highly regarded by fans, Komack points
out that he isn't as fond of his old directorial
style.

"I've progressed so much since then and
so has the business," he admits sheepishly.
"I look back at much of my work and think
that it's not that good, that I could have
done much better. As a writer, though, I
sometimes find scripts of mine that really
hold up. The material transcends the time.
But as a director, I find myself constantly
progressing in terms of fluidity both in the
camera and in the design of shots. Not with
the actors, because I'm pretty good with
them, having been an actor myself. I'm
fascinated with directing and photography,
and I just look at some of the shots and find
them to be so pedestrian. I did one shot over
the pool table [in "A Piece of the Action"]
and it was such a big deal to me; I had never
seen anyone shoot down on a pool table.
Today, everyone does it."

Conversely, he believes that the Star Trek
phenomenon itself is something that has
also improved with age.

really enjoyed Star Trek," says James
Komack. "It's a classic form of fantasy."

"It's a classic form of fantasy, of illusion
that you can only create on film," James
Komack enthuses. "You can take yourself
out of your current time and enjoy a
mythical place, a mythical time and believe
that life is beautiful. Because they were
beautiful. They had enemies like we have
enemies, but they had different ways of
dealing with them. Goodness and the truth
always prevailed. Star Trek has survived for
the same reason that Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs and Christmas stories have
survived for all these years. It's a wonderful
escape."

— Edward Gross

STARLOG/March 1989 61

"Simply the finest film
yet produced profiling
any fantasy filmmaker."
— David McDonnell,
Editor STARLOG
Before Steven Spielberg and George Lucas,
George Pal created film worlds of wonder
and fantasy where none had existed before.
His career earned him eight Academy
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Reason

(continued from page 28)

Twenties, a Prohibition-era adventure
series, ran on ABC-TV from 1960 to 1962.
(He turned down the lead in Maverick, the
show that established James Garner.)

After The Roaring Twenties wrapped up,
Rex Reason, the man who once told an in-
terviewer that "if I couldn't act, I wouldn't
know what to do with my life," suddenly
turned his back on the profession. Reason
explains his unexpected move: "At age 22, I
landed the lead in Storm Over Tibet, and I
was suddenly considered a leading man in
Hollywood — to some people, a star. To me,
I was just a working actor, but the
Hollywood life is demanding and very
magical. In those 10 years I spent as an ac-
tor, I didn't have a chance to grow up — to
experience the normal processes of getting
out, finding a job, working, dealing with
people and so on. That was all held in
abeyance. If you're a leading man in
Hollywood, that's all kept away from you.
Whether people like you or not, they bow.
In a few of my friends who I went to school
with, who I would see from time to time
during my acting career, I could see a
growth, something happening within them
that wasn't happening within me. I didn't
like not knowing or experiencing that
growth. So, that was part of the reason that
I left and started really soul-searching. It
was very difficult for me to leave, and to try
and find another profession. Three years it
took me before I became receptive."

His search for a new direction in life was
complicated by the fact that many people
still tended to look up to him as an actor and
to associate him with the roles he had played
in television. "At any time, if I ever got frus-
trated, I could easily just turn around and
say, 'The heck with it' and move back into
acting. But I couldn't let myself do that."

Although his acting days are now per-
manently behind him, Reason recently has
been talking to agents about the possibility
of getting back into the business and doing
some voiceover work. He made his last film
in 1959, but occasionally, he'll pop up in a
movie like The Incredible Shrinking Woman
or E.T. — The Extra-Terrestrial — in clips
from. This Island Earth. (Reason went to see
E. T. because he had heard that he was in
there somewhere, and missed the scene while
buying popcorn.)

Clearly, This Island Earth has become
and will remain the film for which the actor
will always be best-known, and Rex Reason
has no qualms about the permanent link.
"Well, you're here today!" he laughs. "I've
done several interviews on the subject of
This Island Earth and I still get fan mail,
believe it or not, from people who also men-
tion This Island Earth constantly. I do ap-
preciate the picture and what it's done for
me. This Island Earth has done a lot for me
as far as giving me a little notoriety, keeping
me alive in the minds of fans and giving me
a feeling that my work in films had a little
worth." ■&

Kneale

(continued from page 56)

it — nor, I think, quite the same way as had
H.G. Wells. His Cavor, in the novel, was
also funny, but a different kind of comedy.
STARLOG: One of the most interesting
things about the movie is that the character
played by Edward Judd isn't entirely sym-
pathetic, nor is he in the book. I asked Ray
Harryhausen if that was due to you, and he
said, "Absolutely." You set it up.
KNEALE: In the book, he was a blundering
creature and it seemed important to keep
that. My main contribution was in talking to
[longtime Harryhausen producer] Charlie
Schneer; I pointed out that President Ken-
nedy had said, "We will be on the Moon"
by a given date. "You've got a very narrow
window there to get your film out before
they're really on the Moon. They're going to
find that there won't be any Selenites. How
do we account for that? The book says it's
full of Selenites, so we've got to blow them
all away." And I added, "Supposing they
were sneezed on? All it has to be is that our
professor has a very bad cold, and they
haven't been acquainted with the particular
bacteria or virus he sneezes, and it wipes
them out to the last Selenite." So that clears
it up; you would find big holes where the
Selenite city used to be, but it's all gone.
Now, I am not claiming that as a great
original idea, because Wells himself had
used it in War of the Worlds.
STARLOG: Were you satisfied with the
film version?

KNEALE: It was all right. It could have
been better if it had been a bit less farcical;
that would have been more imaginative. The
saddest thing in any kind of fantasy film is if
it drops from a sense of wonder, if you like,
to a kind of comedy, knockabout, tongue-
in-cheek thing, which too often they do. It's
much harder to make something wonderful,
and very often impossible; you get people
going around in rubber suits looking impor-
tant and pointing. That's when they say,
"Argh, that's a mistake. We should have
just hammed it up." It's easier to do that
than the other thing.

STARLOG: Some people who work in this
genre put themselves above it, such as
Lorenzo Semple, Jr. He told STARLOG in
issues #74-75 that the only way for a writer
to approach science fiction and fantasy is to
make fun of the material. Obviously, you
don't agree.

KNEALE: No, because you're admitting
from the outset that your story isn't going to
be any good, really, so you'll just laugh at it,
instead of saying you'll make it good and
you're going to like it.

Next issue: In the conclusion of this inter-
view with Nigel Kneale, the longest this
writer has ever given on the subject of his
science-fiction work, he reveals the secrets
behind his teleplays that have never been
shown in America — beasts, flying saucers,
ghosts from the past, ghosts from the
future, and the year of the sex Olympics!

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(continued from page 35)

recalls Ashley, awaited.

"The Fox Network had always wanted
Werewolf to be a one hour show. We felt it
never worked as an hour and, for a while,
we got our way. We were on Saturday night
and doing fine when we were asked by the
Fox people to move the show to Sunday.

"Frank and I were reluctant because we
knew, demographically, the show wouldn't
fit in that time slot. But we wanted to be
nice guys, so we agreed. Of course, we were
right and the ratings began to fall. Finally,
the people at Fox came to us and said, 'You
have two choices. We'll move the show back
to Saturday if you make it an hour or we'll
cancel it if you won't.' We honestly felt that
the show wouldn't work as an hour so we
ended it.

"But there are no hard feelings and, in
fact, there's a possibility of our doing a two
hour movie for Fox to conclude the
Werewolf storyline."

Ashley may not have that option with
Something Is Out There. After a short
hiatus for retrenching purposes, the series
was given a new Friday night slot at 8
p.m. — a time slot already promised to The
Jim Henson Hour (scheduled to debut in
mid- January).

"They put us opposite Beauty & the Beast
and ABC's sitcoms," laments Ashley. "But
we pretty much had to go with what they
gave us. Unless you follow The Golden Girls
or ALF, it can be tough — especially in a
business where you live and die by the
numbers."

Something Is Out There, in its new time
slot, continues to die; much in the manner
that another mini-series winner and series
loser, "V", did. Ashley uses the comparison
between the two shows as a jumping-off
point to a discourse on the reality of the
series grind.

"We knew there would be inherent prob-
lems going from mini-series to weekly series
and many people told us going in that we
were doing 'V again," explains Ashley.
"Science fiction on television is particularly
tough. You've got special FX and other
elements that don't figure into most TV
shows and, in the case of Something Is Out
There, we also had a show that nobody had
a firm handle on where it was going.

"Television under normal circumstances
can be a hard hustle. Doing Something Is
Out There has been particularly rough."

But John Ashley's latest pink slip
hasn't soured him on the television process.
He's "taking meetings" with both Fox and
NBC about future series and remains upbeat
on the promising birth and certain death of
Something Is Out There.

"It's just a matter of throwing the dice,"
he concludes. "Sometimes, you roll an
A-Team. Sometimes, it comes up
Something Is Out There. But one thing is
certain.

"Somebody will always give you another
roll of the dice." ■&

McKeown

(continued from page 48)

meone who could "write in a Python style."

"I don't know that I write 'in the Python
style,' but they recommended me!" he
laughs. "They were in pre-production and
going ahead with the film at the time, and so
it was nice to sit and chat with Tim Burton
about it. Tim thinks I made it funnier and
darker, which I think is true. I enabled him
to see it in a slightly different way. I opened
up certain aspects of it to him which he
hadn't thought of.

"I was really just doing some very minor
fiddling with a very good script. I don't
know how much of what I did survives,
though, so I look forward to seeing it!"

Fans who are worried about the casting of
Michael Keaton in the title role, and heard
that some in the media had earlier con-
sidered the project a comedy, have little to
fear, according to McKeown. Although
there may be a few funny moments, he says
the story is being played straight.

"I never saw the TV show, which is prob-
ably a good thing, but it's certainly not go-
ing to be camp. It's going to be straight," he
stresses. "I was familiar with the comic
books, but I went by the script, which I
thought was very strong. I knew the Batman
character from the comics not from televi-
sion. Somebody showed me The Killing
Joke subsequently, after I had finished; it's
good, beautifully drawn stuff."

McKeown is reluctant to cite specific con-
tributions to the script, simply because his
changes may not be included in the final ver-
sion. "There is this quasi-theological aspect
of the Joker creating the Batman, and Bat-
man creating the Joker — a nice symmetry,"
he remarks. "Batman, having created the
Joker — for which he then feels tremendous
remorse — therefore feels he must deal with
the Joker. It's an interesting idea to have
one create the other, an interdependence of
forces for good and evil; they're both
motivated by revenge."

At the moment, McKeown is wearing his
acting hat on the set of Erik the Viking, a
Viking comedy adventure directed by
Python Terry Jones. McKeown is playing
the father of one of Erik's warriors, who are
hoping to prevent the age of Ragnarok and
the world's end. The production has just
returned from Malta, where most of the
water scenes were filmed.

"It was hard work, but it was nice to see
the rushes look so good," he notes. "We
did the Hy-brasil scenes, the Promised Land
down there. The Vikings discover this
wonderful lost Atlantis-type city that sinks
when someone gets killed there, so it's a
place where people don't carry weapons. It's
inhabited by the original hippies, and
everyone believes that peace, love and being
nice to each other is what it is all about — un-
til the Vikings arrive."

It's time. Charles McKeown, writer and
actor, is called back on the set of the
Norwegian fjord constructed on a London
soundstage. Ragnarok awaits. ■&

heat

'Token
Teenager

He gained a uniform
nd lost his mom,
jut he's still part of
"The Next Generation

D " IAN SPELLING

s Star Trek: The Next Generation
warps further into its second
season, Wil Wheaton pauses to
reflect on the show's first year and provide
his insights into how child prodigy Wesley
Crusher, the boy fans love to hate, has
grown and will continue to do so.

"There's still a lot of room for growth
and development, not only in my character,
but in every character on the show,"
Wheaton says. "But as far as a first season
character, it developed very well. I would
like to see Wesley do more normal personal
stuff, though, a little less of the whiz kid.
Not because all the die-hard Trekkies freak
out about that, but because there's more to
Wesley than just the whiz kid. He's a nor-
mal teenager and should hang out with some
people his own age."

Wheaton, previously interviewed in
STARLOG #129, describes his working
relationship with executive producer Gene
W. (for Wesley) Roddenberry as warm, but
expresses a desire not to bring any concerns
about his character's future to the "Great
Bird." "We don't work directly with Gene.
The only time somebody works with him,"
Wheaton reveals, "is when you have a pro-
blem with a script or you have ideas."

While Roddenberry doesn't direct the
episodes, he does oversee them and ensures
that each one earns the right to be called
Star Trek. "That's a misconception I had
about Gene. He is the guiding force,
definitely, sort of the god on the show, but
he's not directing. I can make all the sugges-
tions I want to Gene, to the writers, but I
really haven't. I hold high regard for him.
He's one of the few people I really admire.
He's up there with Donald Trump."

Just as Wesley is now the youngest
member of the Enterprise crew manning the
bridge, so is Wheaton still the youngest ac-
tor on the bridge set. Yet, Wheaton claims
with an obvious glimmer of satisfaction,
"the other cast members regard me as an
equal. We all hang out together. We always
go to lunch together. When we started out,
Patrick Stewart suggested we all take
nicknames in order to increase our familiari-
ty with our characters. He suggested we call
him 'Old Baldie.' "

I ! v"

Jonathan Frakes received the label
"Dudley DoRiker." Brent Spiner was
referred to as "Zippy the Android."
"Turtlehead" quickly became Michael
Dorn's new moniker. "I don't remember
what we called Gates McFadden and LeVar
Burton," Wheaton says. "Mine was
'Youngerblood,' because one of our stand-
ins [James "Youngblood" Becker] looks
just like Rob Lowe in the movie Young-
blood. Denise Crosby was 'Pookie.' "

"Wesley never really knew his mom," says
Wheaton. Now that Gates McFadden has
left the series, neither will anybody else.

The behind-the-scenes shenanigans con-
tinued as the highly-rated first season zipped
by. Wheaton and his fellow castmates
bumped into their fair share of turbolift
doors. Humor surfaced even while shooting
Tasha Yar's death scene for the dramatic
episode "Skin of Evil." "That was a joy to
do. The episode was a real gem. But all that
black goo!" Wheaton laughs. "Imagine all
of us and all that goo, which was some sort
of Jell-O-like substance. Let's just say
there's still goo all over Stage 16."

Nevertheless, Wheaton's favorite Trek
anecdote isn't an hysterical flub or an
unexpected pratfall. Rather, it's an everyday

sight, for him, at least— the sayings tacked,
stuck or otherwise mounted on the actors'
respective dressing room doors.

"Patrick's says, 'Beware: Unknown
Shakespearean actor inside.' Jonathan's
says, 'No theatricals, please.' I don't know
what that means," Wheaton admits.
"Gates' was 'Starring Gates McFadden as
Cheryl.' Her real first name is Cheryl.
Denise's door said, 'Denise Crosby starring

Although she couldn't find a drink to suit
him, Guinan (Whoopl Goldberg) still served
up some advice more to Wesley's taste In

"The Child."

Wesley will be on the Bridge with Picard
(Patrick Stewart) and Riker (Jonathan
Frakes) more often now, but Wheaton
would rather he "hang out with people his
own age."

as Lt. Pookie "Pooks" Yar.' Michael's
door has all this Klingon writing on it which
translates to something I can't remember.
LeVar's says, 'Kunta, I don't think we're in
Kansas anymore.' Marina Sirtis' says,
'Token Betazoid,' and mine says, 'Token
teenager.' "

Performing with a cast as large and
diverse as those of The Next Generation
takes a degree of pressure off Wheaton as
far as expectations regarding his
performance. The flip side of such an
argument, however, dictates Wheaton must
be that much better in his limited scenes. "I
guess it does take a lot of heat off me. Gosh,
I never thought of it that way. You know,"
Wheaton decides, "that's weird. I never get
really deep about acting. If you really start
thinking about acting, you realize we're the
most grossly overpaid professionals that
exist. But your career can end overnight, so
I don't even stop to think about it."

68 STARLOG/Mwc/! 1989

Mordock thrived on smoke, but Wheaton
"could die from it."

Of course, there have been changes in the
series' second season — including the fall-out
from Denise Crosby's well-publicized depar-
ture and the much quieter exit of Gates
McFadden, who portrayed Dr. Beverly
Crusher, Wesley's mother and Captain
Picard's would-be flame.

"It's official. She has left. We had a very
good working relationship, but I never got
the chance to work with her!" Wheaton
remarks. "We maybe had five or six scenes
together. Wesley never really knew his
mom, as far as the audience was concerned.
That's the only thing I was really disap-
pointed in."

McFadden's departure affects Wesley in
ways that Wheaton promises will be subtle.
Besides, the other cast members who serve
as surrogate mothers when the cameras
aren't rolling can now do so on camera, too.
"That's going to be interesting. Wil, and
now Wesley, will basically have at least five
moms running around the ship and set,"
Wheaton jokes. "But I honestly don't know
why she left. I keep getting the urge to run
around and pick up all the gossip, but I
don't want to know. There are all these ma-
jor [fan] organizations saying, 'Bring back
Gates, bring back Gates.' It's sad because
they're wasting their time."

As for what will actually be happening
throughout the rest of this season, Wheaton
offers a few tantalizing hints, though he ad-
mits his information comes from an often
unreliable grapevine. "I can tell you it's my
understanding the Romulans are going to
come back as the bad guys and the Ferengi
will end up like the Andorians. They're go-
ing to be guest bad guys like the Gorn,"
Wheaton says. "He's in one episode and
he's really cool and then they never bothered
to bring him back. The Gorn is the greatest
villain. He was rad. 'Arena' is one of my
favorites. I think the Gorn should be
brought back.

"Gates was taken off by being transfer-
red. I've moved to the bridge, so I won't be
wearing my sweaters anymore. I really did
not like those sweaters. They were part of
the wardrobe, so I got used to them. Geordi
will lose the banana clip.

"They're going to operate and restore his
vision," Wheaton reveals. "I've heard
LeVar is getting vision problems. You see, I
hear all these great rumors and before I can
check out the facts, I've got to do inter-
views."

When discussing an ongoing problem
which may plague him as long as he portrays
Wesley, Wheaton turns serious. Whether
out of jealousy or dislike for the character's
precocious nature, many Trek fans confuse
Wheaton the actor with the role he has
created. An all-too-common sight at con-
ventions are the countless "Crush Wesley,"
"Nuke Wesley" and "Destroy Wesley"
buttons. Wheaton is neither deaf nor blind;
he has seen the buttons and heard the
whispers asking, "Why did Denise die in-
stead of you?"

"I understand that's not my fault,"
Wheaton acknowledges, "but it upsets me
as a person to think there are all these people
out there hating me and they don't even
know me. They're hating me because of a
superficial thing like a career or a TV show
or something dumb like that. I left my
public school. Many of the students were
hating me without ever coming up to me
and saying, 'Hi, I'm so and so,' and getting
to know me. It hurts me a lot because it
makes me feel like, 'Well, now I don't ever
stand a chance with anybody because they'll
hate me before they know me.' "

Part of the tension hovering in the air at
recent conventions attended by Wheaton
may be the result of the no-smoking rule in-
voked for his appearances. When it's reveal-
ed that Wheaton is behind the ban, some
conventioneers are riled, but the young ac-
tor's request stems from a lung problem
which hit him mid-season, not star vanity.

Rumor even suggests Wheaton missed an
episode due to the ailment. The actor rejects
the notion, setting the record straight when
he says, "I was sick during one episode I
wasn't even in anyway. I'm much better.
The only limitations I have now are that I
can't scuba dive, can't hang glide, and I
can't inhale cigarette smoke.

"If I took up smoking, my potential mor-
tality rate would skyrocket incredibly. If I'm
stuck in a room with a bunch of smokers,
it's a real hassle and I could literally fall right
over from it. I could die from it. I enjoy the
conventions. They're fun, but they're not
worth dying for, you know? That's why at
every convention, I ask them to impose that
no-smoking rule."

However, Wheaton is compelled to
answer those who insist that Wesley's too
smart for his own good.

"People like Wesley really exist. I know
people that are literally like that. Some of
them are my friends," Wheaton says in
defense of Wesley and other — real
life — smart youngsters. "One of my friends
is a genius, beyond the limits. People tend to
think that Wesley is just talk, that he really
doesn't know what he's talking about. I
would think that, too, if I didn't know peo-
ple like him."

Unlike Wesley, though, Wheaton is
(continued on page 72)

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SELLING SETS OF 3Vi " x 4" full color photo prints
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MISCELLANEOUS

FOR SALE STARLOG MAGAZINE issues 1-83.
Average/good condition. Best offer. Gurner, 116
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PROMOTE A STAR TREK CONVENTION Raise
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PUBLICATIONS

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STARLOG/Marc/? 1989 69

COMMUNICATIONS/

(continued from page 7)

extras on SF TV shows like Star Trek: The Next
Generation or Captain Power, it was the cartoon
by Warren Drummond on page 6.

Al Munro

2558 Fifth Line West

Mississauga, Ontario

Canada LSK 1W3

. . . Did someone give the "Abandon ship" order
on the Enterprise! Must women still be the first to
go in the 24th century? Deanna Troi must have
sensed what might have happened if she were to
complain about the thinness of her role and decid-
ed to keep her mouth shut!

With those two women exiting (McFadden and
Crosby), I feel male dominance is rearing its ugly
head again. I felt a great love story was developing
between Picard and Crusher, two fiercely in-
dependent and highly intellectual people. Scratch
that storyline. I'm hoping Picard won't assume
his predecessor's role of having a woman in every
port.

L.D.

Pittsburgh, PA

... As a 19-year-old female with my whole life to
plan, Beverly Crusher was an excellent role
model. She balanced a family and a career and
she was good at it.

THIS PUBLIC SERVICE CARTOON
CAN HELP you ANSWER, THE
POLL-OWING, QUESTION--

IS YOUR

Possessed

BY THE
W4&OFTTlEWoRU>S

AMEMS ?

The only positive thing I can say about this
whole situation is that maybe the relationship be-
tween Crusher and Picard will be explained in
greater detail. Maybe Beverly could come back in
future episodes, since she won't be dead, but it
won't be the same. The way I see it all is that this
is just as serious as if Bones had left the original
Star Trek. A doctor should be there for his/her
patients and if there's a new doctor every two or
three years, then the families aboard the Enter-
prise will lose a part of their security.

Denise Crosby and Gates McFadden both
gone? What a total waste of talent.

Tanya L. Chang

32 Aleutian Road

Nepean, Ontario

K2H 7C8 Canada

...I've just read that Diana Muldaur will be
replacing Gates McFadden as Chief Medical Of-
ficer on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

First off, I would like to say that I believe the
choice of Muldaur is a good one. She is a great ac-
tress and certainly not a stranger to the Star Trek
universe. She was in several memorable episodes
of the original show. She'll be an asset.

Secondly, my concern is for the longevity of
ST: TNG. I really think it is a good show. I hope

/. ARE H/S EXPRESS/oNS OF
APPROVAL PIFFERENT Now ?

*1

HEY, THOSE

PIMPLED

LOOK.

MA^TV/

2.. POES IT TAKE LESS TIME
FOR. HIM TO PICK. UP AFTER
HIMSELF ?

3. /S HE HAVING SKIN
PROBLEMS ?

IF YOCJ ANSWERED YES TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS,
THEN CONTACT AUTHORITIES AND FIND ANOTHER ROOMMATE /.'

Gene Roddenberry didn't bring in an older
woman, closer to Picard's age, to turn the series
into another Koenig/Helena, Tony/Maya show
like Space: 1999 did.

Now, I liked Space: 1999 also, but that has
been done, and to ensure ST: TNG'% longevity,
Roddenberry must keep it fresh and alive, not
have the fans compare it to all the other failed SF
shows.

I really believe they can pull off replacing Dr.
Crusher with this fine lady, but please let them
know that they musn't fall into the easy trail of
copying others' storylines.

Alan Andrews

Mogadore, OH

... I read the letters protesting Lt. Yar's "death,"
as well as the item about Gates McFadden's
departure. Most people are very upset about the
loss of such a strong female character. I agree
completely, but fail to understand their surprise at
the relegation of women to the secretarial pool
once again.

As a committed though not radical feminist, I
have followed, supported and encouraged the
women's movement in this country for years; a
movement, sadly, which has fallen far short of its
goals and now seems to be over. We have gained
so pathetically little, after all our struggles: we still
make only 64<t for every dollar a man makes for
the same job; a female college graduate will earn
less in her lifetime than a male high school
dropout; we still have to struggle for the simple
respect men accord one another routinely; we
must fight to be taken seriously; and many career
women find that their career is somehow not the
"really" important one in the family, and that
they're still expected to manage the household
very much on their own.

Given that the television and movie industry is
male-dominated, and that men are products of
America's woman-bashing society, how can we
expect them to write strong parts for women?
They have few examples, either in fiction or in
their own lives, to draw upon for guidance. So
they must rely on their fantasies, and I frankly
think that most men haven't a clue as to what a
strong woman is like. She is neither a monster
mother-in-law nor a bitch in black leather and
high-heeled boots. She is the Natasha Yar of the
early episodes — intelligent, fair-minded,
courageous, competent, well-trained, dedicated,
and asking no favors but the chance to do her job.
That's really all any of us ask, but oh the trouble
we have getting it! For every Mimi Kuzak (she
was the co-pilot of the Aloha Airlines jet that lost
part of its cabin in flight), there are a thousand
equally talented women who will never get a
chance because they aren't to be trusted with these
"men's" jobs. With our society as it is, can
anyone wonder that we continue to use women as
drudges, while the "real" jobs still go to men?

We have a long way to go before we have true
equality in our society; perhaps we will have to
wait until 2388 to get it. Perhaps only then will we
have people capable of writing, and appreciating,
characters like Tasha Yar and Beverly Crusher.

Karla Von Huben

San Diego, CA

OTHER DIAGNOSES

... I am a loyal Star Trek fan. I am 13 and sort of
a "newcomer" but I enjoy it. But the popularity
of the Next Generation worries me. I like it, but

70 STARLOG/A/a/rA 1989

don't get me wrong. What little I've seen I like,
but what's happening? I'm seeing more of Picard,
Data and Riker and less of Kirk, Spock and Mc-
Coy, and this worries me. I am afraid that the
Next Generation will replace just plain old Star
Trek. I want to hear more about Star Trek V, if
there ever is one. What's William Shatner doing
to prepare himself to direct? What's Star Trek V
going to be about?

Also, I miss the Vulcans aboard NCC 1701-D.
Spock and the Vulcans were one of the reasons
Star Trek lives today. I've read that Vulcans
aren't completely out of the picture, just in the
background. Please consider a Vulcan to take
Denise Crosby's place.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is good but has
nothing on the first four movies. Seriously, I want
to hear more of Star Trek V, a galactic war
maybe, a sneak preview at least, just to reassure
myself of a Next Generation for Kirk, Spock,
Scotty and the rest.

Graham Phelps

Faylorsville, NC

Stop worrying. You will hear more o/Star Trek V
as well as the original Star Trek TV series (its
guest stars, writers and directors).

... I recently saw a great show with Jonathan
Frid, Fools and Friends. Frid played Barnabas
Collins in the old Dark Shadows series, which is
still shown in reruns.

During the intermission, the fans were talking
and came up with the idea that Frid would be
great in Star Trek: The Next Generation'. He
would make a great doctor or a new character. A
Vulcan maybe?

We need Frid back on TV and Star Trek: The
Next Generation needs the shot in the arm Frid
could bring to it.

Henry Hume

Address Withheld

. . . Recently, I had the privilege of seeing and
hearing Patrick Stewart at his first SF convention.
I use the word "privilege" purposefully, because
Stewart gave us a visit that was stunning. He
garnered everyone's renewed, strengthened
respect for him with his intelligence, warmth,
honesty and criticisms. His defense of Wil
Wheaton in answer to a detractor was satisfying
to behold and he countered a few other insensitive
questions with alternate humor and forcefulness.

Anyone who has not had the good fortune to
be in Patrick Stewart's company yet has this to
look forward to: it will be a rare, delicious treat.
Just in sharing his 25 years of acting with us and
relating other life incidents, he not only entertain-
ed us, he has taught us. It was so completely
refreshing to be in the presence of someone who is
a star yet«didn't act in the last bit naughty, cranky
or spoiled. Stewart signed so many autographs
and spoke with such a crush of people, with
humility and concern, that some were worried his
arm would fall off or he would lose his voice com-
pletely.

Thank you, Patrick Stewart. We'll always
remember you!

Stephanie K. Kansa

17022 N. 66th Drive

Glendale, AZ 85308

CRITICAL DISCLAIM

... I'm a longtime collector of STARLOG
magazine. One thing that bothers me is the readers'
reaction to critical reviews. Why is it every time a
major motion picture is released to bad reviews, its
fans feel they must rise up in droves to defend

"their" movie? I'm referring specifically to
"Willow Wars" in the Communications section of
STARLOG #135. Why do people have to get
angry? Star Wars is one of my favorite movies of
all time, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I
like every Lucas movie ever made. Howard the
Duck was a bad movie. Willow was also bad.
General Kael is a Darth Vader clone and so on.

My point is that readers should write in and
point out what they liked about the movie, rather
than insult the critics. Some of the comments were
ridiculous. One reader even went so far as to sug-
gest movie critics should become "sewage
specialists."

In that same issue of STARLOG, Kerry
O'Quinn wrote, "Most of the time, SF fans are
seen and judged by the rest of the world for our
strangeness." Someone who isn't a reader of SF
who happened to pick up and browse through the
magazine would probably think we're all a bunch
of childish name-callers.

Personally, if I like a movie, I don't care what
the critics say about it. If anything, SF teaches us
compassion and a toleration of ideas that might not
necessarily agree with our own.

Rokk

441 Paula Court #6

Santa Clara, CA 95050

. . . I've just seen a report in STARLOG #133 that
the Martians are about to awaken from their
35-year hibernation and continue this darn war in
the TV series called War of the Worlds. I just can't
believe this could happen. Why wouldn't the
humans try and make peace with those creatures?
Why won't the Martians shake hands with the
humans instead of just giving them death? After 35
years of living in peace, before my time, why are
the Martians after us again?

Adam DiHall

8358 Crestwood Avenue

Munster, IN 46321

Because we're here.

. . .When I heard that Batman was going to be
made, I was thrilled. I was happy that someone
really cared about the character of the Dark Knight
and that the movie was going to be made like the
comic-book hero I've come to know and enjoy.

That is, until Michael Keaton got the part of Bat-
man. Now, let's face it, Keaton isn't the Batman
type; he's more like the Joker, although they've
already picked a great Joker.

I hope Tim Burton will realize that Keaton will
not do Batman any justice as far as the character is
concerned, and I think that Bob Kane, the creator
of Batman, will probably agree with me.

I want to know if there are other Batman fans
who agree with me. I would like to hear from you.

J.D. Butler

PSC Box 2762

APO, NY 09127

Hope you're ready for the Bat-onslaught of anti-
Mr. Mombat mail, but don't count Bob Kane
among them. You'll hear more about Batman (and
Kane) in future issues of STARLOG and COMICS
SCENE.

... I would like to thank STARLOG for the great
interview in issue #133 with that maestro of film
music, Jerry Goldsmith. I've been a fan of his
scores since I started collecting soundtracks eight
years ago. I now have 37 Goldsmith scores and
I'm eagerly awaiting Warlock and Leviathan.

"Madam, you are gravely mistaken. I
DON'T CARE if you are unsatisfied with
your oven roaster!"

You can feel that emotion is the most important
subject of his music.

I was also touched by Kerry O'Quinn's article
about the Dutch boy who loves these movies so
much and whose admiration for George Lucas,
Steven Spielberg and John Williams I share with
the whole of my heart. Because I feel exactly the
same way. Their movies keep me going. I lost
both my brothers and often search for something
to share my enthusiasm because I could talk about
movies and soundtracks the entire day, too. I feel
we share the same dream. I was also thinking of
going to a film school in Brussels but I might have
to postpone it for a while. If Juren is interested in
getting in touch with me, we could correspond.

Luc Van der Eeken

4 Vrijheidstraat

3200 Kessel-Lo

Belgium

. . .Where can I begin? I've read many issues of
your magazine now and already love it! I might be
able to subscribe to your mag; it all depends. A
13-year-old like me isn't usually rich. Hopefully, I
can manage it, because I love your magazine! It's
the only one I know that accommodates all the in-
terests of a devoted SF freak like me. My favorite
SF programs and books are Blake's 7 (the best!),
Hitchhiker's Guide quartet, Doctor Who, and the
new Star Trek. I like many of your articles, but
I've noticed a few things in your letters that I have
to comment on.

In issue #130, Susan J. Paxton is calling my
favorite TV show esoteric! If more TV stations
showed this awesome program, maybe it would
be more appreciated. It is the most constantly
entertaining show I've ever seen. I couldn't say
that about Doctor Who or any other show. Every
single episode is great! That's all there is to it. Bot-
tom line. And certainly if the show is "esoteric,"
then there should be more about it for the fans
who love it! Battlestar Galactica is surely even
more "esoteric" than Blake's, especially judging
from Paxton's own letter. And Jackie Heninges'
letter. That's like saying, "I think pizza is
disgusting and utterly revolting, but go ahead and
eat it, I don't care!"

Andrew Simchik

119 W. Grove Street

Oneida, NY 13421

STARLOG/Mwr/z 1989 71

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Stoltz

(continued from page 40)

(RoboCop) Dupuis, whose elaborate
makeups in The Fly earned him an Oscar,
returns on Fly II to reprise his FX magic.
But no matter how well designed or how ex-
pertly applied, wearing makeup and ap-
pliances can be a tedious, even painful ex-
perience for some actors. It takes a special
kind of stamina to endure hours in a
makeup chair, and a special kind of self-
confidence to bury your features — an
actor's major asset — beneath layers of latex
and "pancake."

Stoltz is lucky, though, in being a relative-
ly "old hand" at makeup. In Mask, he was
required to hide his features while playing
the role of a congenitally-deformed boy.

"Mind you," Stoltz observes, "I'm not
very objective at this point, but it seems to
me now that Mask was a harder makeup
picture than Fly II. In Mask, I had to have a
four-hour makeup session every day for
four months in the heat of a summertime
Los Angeles. By contrast, the makeup
scenes in Fly Hart only two or three days of
each week. I must admit, though, that as
time goes by, I'm getting a little bit more
tense about the Fly makeup, maybe because
I'm not doing it every day so it's not as
familiar to me."

Though he has no qualms about acting in
heavy makeup, he does have one phobia.
"Tomorrow is going to be the most difficult
scene I've had on Fly II," Stoltz confesses
grimly, "because in addition to makeup,
I'm going to have to wear a contact lens. I
have an overwhelming fear of anything be-
ing put over my eye. But at least I'm not go-
ing to wear makeup in 100-degree heat."

While grueling, Mask offered other com-
pensations, not the least of which was work-
ing with Cher (Witches of Eastwick) and
Sam (The Legacy) Elliott. "They're both
tremendous, wonderful people," Stoltz en-
thuses, "and I have nothing but fond
memories of working with them. I think
Cher's public persona — the flamboyant
costumes, etc — is also her private self. She
likes to dress up, since she's a kid at heart."

Fly II isn't Stoltz's only brush with SF.
The actor was originally slated to play the
lead in Back to the Future. In fact, several
weeks' footage was lensed with Stoltz before
Michael J. Fox succeeded him in the part.
Asked for his version of the casting con-
troversy, Stoltz gets a mischievous look in
his eye. "The sequel will all make it clear as
to why I wasn't in the original film," he
says. "The professor and the kid get in their
magic time car and go back to the period
when I was in the cast!"

After Fly II wraps, Eric Stoltz has no im-
mediate plans. "I'm going to sleep for a
month!" he quips, but has no acting jobs on
the horizon. He also has no "game plan" in
regard to his career, no major goals or lofty
ambitions.

"I guess you could say," he muses, "that
I'm just trying to enjoy the work I'm doing,
and just taking things as they come." •&

Wheaton

(continued from page 68)

energetic and always in motion, gesturing
broadly with his hands for emphasis.

"I'm much more flamboyant and eccen-
tric than Wesley. Now that's a quote. I'm
the most outgoing in my entire group of
friends, and the most obnoxious. To play
Wesley is a matter of turning myself off.
That's how I act. I turn myself off and my
character on. When the director says 'Cut!',
I'm back to being Wil."

Being Wil allows Wheaton to laugh and
smile again while sharing his enthusiasm for
the original Star Trek series. He owns
videotapes of all 79 episodes and the four
movies, and is eagerly following production
of Star Trek V, a few soundstages away
from the Next Generation sets. Though the
odds of a collaboration between the new
wave and the old guard are astronomical at
best, Wheaton describes the original series
cast members whom he has encountered as
pleased with the revamped Trek.

"Walter Koenig has said he really likes
the show. Jimmy Doohan was actually on
the ship set. That was really funny,"
Wheaton recalls. "Our walls are all metal.
When he left, I walked through the corri-
dors and there were all these magnets all
over the place saying, 'Beam me up, Scotty.
I don't think there's any intelligent life down
here.' "

Despite agreeing with the logic which
rules out a merging of the Star Trek casts,
Wheaton can't help but fantasize. "We're
pursuing a Romulan battle cruiser at Warp
Eight," the 16-year-old envisions. "A near-
by star has just gone supersomething or
other. The star has sucked itself in and
there's this hole in space. The Romulans are
passing over it right before it all happens.
They get pulled in."

The Enterprise gives chase, entering the
black hole. Through unexplainable forces of
nature, Captain James T. Kirk's Enterprise
has come to face a similar situation in the
23rd century. "All three ships wind up in a
time unfamiliar to all of them, and the two
Enterprises have to join forces to defeat the
Romulans. That's it," Wheaton concludes.
"That's my big idea. It'll never happen."

Though Wheaton intends to seek other
roles between seasons which provide room
for growth as an actor and help him avoid
being typecast as Wesley Crusher forever, he
genuinely looks forward to growing up on
screen before millions of viewers over the
next few years. "How cool!" Wil Wheaton
enthuses. "Look at Tina Yothers. I've wat-
ched her grow up on Family Ties. We've
been friends for a while. When she's a
grandmother with grandkids, she can take
the tapes of Family Ties and pop them in the
VCR and say, 'This is what I looked like as
a little kid,' and put in six or seven different
shows over the course of seven years. They
can watch her grow up. That's amazing.
That would be really rad to watch myself do
that. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that.
Who wouldn't?" &

Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.

MEDIALOGf

(continued from page 9)

Batman cast: Catherine (Beetlejuice)
O'Hara, model Jerry Hall and Tracey
Walter (the scruffy character actor seen as
Frog in Best of the West and in such movies
as Conan the Destroyer, Repo Man, Rag-
gedy Man, Something Wild and Married to
the Mob, among many others). You'll know
Walter when you see him.

Fantasy Films: The phenomenal success
of The Phantom of the Opera musical
(STARLOG #139) has, needless to say, led
to revived film interest in Gaston Leroux's
creation. Cannon Films is producing a new
film version of Phantom of the Opera with
Robert Englund in the role and John (In-
cubus) Hough as director. It's supposed to
be a faithful version of the oft-filmed story.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros, is preparing yet
another Phantom, one set at the Paris
Opera House in 1940, thus adding Nazis and
the WWII milieu to the formula. Wolfgang
(Enemy Mine) Petersen (STARLOG #104)
will direct this one, from a screenplay by
James (Fatal Attraction) Dearden. There's
at least one other Phantom-derived movie in
the works as well as a Broadway-bound
stage musical version of Brian De Palma's
movie Phantom of the Paradise. And of
course, a movie version of the current
musical which begat all this begatting is also
warming up the wings. Certainly seems
there'll be enough Phantoms to go around.
— David McDonnell

ROBERT ZEMECKIS ON
SUCCESS AND FAILURE

With the remarkable box-office perfor-
mance of Who Framed Roger Rabbit,
Back to the Future and Romancing the
Stone, Robert Zemeckis has now made three
hit films in a row.

But it wasn't always this way. If now is the
highest point yet in Zemeckis' career, the
lowest point was just eight years ago.
Zemeckis, a 1973 graduate of USC film
school, had directed and co-written / Wanna
Hold Your Hand (1978) and Used Cars
(1980) with Steven Spielberg as executive pro-
ducer, and had co-written 1941, which
Spielberg directed in 1979. None of the three
films was a commercial success, and 1941
brought substantial criticism.

Looking back, the filmmaker is philosoph-
ical. "It's sad when they don't go, and it's
great when they go," Zemeckis says.
"There's nothing you can do about it — you
never know. I mean, you just have to do
what you have to do, and you can't ever
think that you know what anybody wants to
go see, because you don't. You just have to
hope that people's tastes are the same as
yours.

"I make certain films because I personally
want to see them, and then I hope that so-

BEACH-BLANKET BODIES

Someone's dead?! And it isn't Penn Jiilette (kneeling). But it could be his partner
Teller (sprawled). Together, they're Penn & Teller— and in their first major (or minor)
motion picture directed by Arthur (Bonnie & Clyde) Penn (no relation). Watch as Penn
& Teller Get Killed sometime this year.

meone else does. And that's the only criteria
that I use, because no one really knows. It's
much more fun when films are successful."

Bearing this in mind, Zemeckis (who dis-
cussed his movies in STARLOG #85, 99 &
134) doesn't let people's enthusiasm about his
current string of successes go to his head.
"Everyone expects you to do it again," he
notes. "But I do it because I enjoy doing it.
And I always hope that a film will make one
dollar profit, because I don't want to ever
lose money for the people who had the cou-
rage to support me financially with these
films. But I do it to do it, and if I started to
think that I could ever know what's going to
gross $200 million, I think I would be sadly
mistaken.

"I feel that way, because of those four
films that I've directed [prior to Roger Rab-
bit], they had all been wonderfully received

Visiting Toontown with pals Roger Rabbit
(center) and Bob Hoskins (right), director
Bob Zemeckis says, "I make certain films
because I personally want to see them."

critically, and even when people were brought
into the films that were failures, to test them,
they tested very well. So, in other words, I've
always felt that the quality of films is consis-
tent: I can't sit here and say, 'Oh, well those
films were unsuccessful because they weren't
very good' — I felt they were all good. As a
matter of fact, I think I'm maybe the most
proud of Used Cars, because of its screenplay
which I wrote with Bob Gale."

— Adam Pirani

UNER NOTES

OK. I just threw out the first six paragraphs of these
notes. They're gone. Went to Albuquerque. Left no
forwarding address.

They were sort of funny and a theme — that concept so dear
to magazine editors, SF paperback anthologists and talk show
hosts everywhere — was sort of developing, a weak theme to be
sure, but it was buried somewhere in there if you looked real
close with a magnifying glass and pliers.

Then, I realized it. Those graphs were taking excruciatingly
long to compose. Usually, I whip this out in a red-hot, three-
four hour session, mostly oblivious to all around me. However,
this time, writing every sentence was slow death. Every comma,
noisy agony. Every indention, neon torture. The day dragged
on. The Sun set in the East. Or the West. Wherever it was
supposed to set. And the pain continued.

"This isn't working," I said. "Think I'll become an editor."

So, I tossed it all away. The funny stuff. The weak stuff.
All that hellishly superb punctuation. And instead, there's this
more utilitarian approach, sort of bare bones, with no pseudo-
philosophy (that's available in quantity elsewhere) and very lit-
tle bricbrac. Works just as well and gets us to Joe Dante quicker.

I've loved all his movies — except Explorers — and I am well
aware of his love and extensive knowledge of the genre. Hey,
Joe used to write for magazines just like this one — specifically
my favorite, the late Castle of Frankenstein. And Joe knows
Nigel Kneale ("Tom" to his friends), the legendary British
writer who's chatting with STARLOG's Bill Warren in the
extensive three-part interview which began last issue.

"Now," you might ask all utilitarian-like, "that's a real long
interview. Why should I invest my time to read it alP."

Our expert witness, Joe Dante.

"Of all the people who have written science fiction directly
for the screen, TV or movie, Tom is the best," Joe Dante
explains. "I'm not sure that his talent has been accurately
reflected in the final screen versions, but even so the quality of
the five SF films his name appears on is quite a bit higher than
what's being made today. The stuff he wrote in the 1950s was
topical, and he hasn't had much opportunity to do this lately.
This interview is important in placing him in the context of the
history of science-fiction films."

Thanks, Joe. Joe will be signing autographs in the hallway.
Look for his new black comedy from Universal Pictures, The
'Burbs, opening this spring.

Speaking of spring (OK, so it's the best transition a
utilitarian guy can think of), I'll be out on the road myself,
talking to STARLOG readers at my home away from home,
SF conventions. On February 11-12, I'll be at the Masonic
Temple in Scranton, PA with my pal Star Trek novelist Ann
Crispin. It's a special father and son celebration, courtesy
Dreamwerks, starring Leonard Nimoy (Saturday only) and
Mark Lenard (Sunday only). Then, on March 4-5, I'll be at the
Holiday Inn Ashley Plaza in Tampa, FL at Vulkon with my
pal Star Trek novelist Jean Dillarti and special guest star Walter
Koenig. Both weekends present perfect opportunities to find
out more about Star Trek V at great cons I really enjoy (that's
why / keep going back). See you there, all you Floridians and
Pennsylvanians. And you Utilitarians, too.

How did
California-
based
STARLOG
correspondent
Eric Niderost
get to the
Canadian
studios where
The Fly II
filmed? By
telepod, of
course. The
patent's
pending.

Elsewhere, I should note that we are indeed doing a second
series of Star Trek: The Next Generation magazines. The initial
second season edition, inappropriately numbered Volume 5,
should be on sale already, with Volume 6 to follow in a few
weeks, circa February 23. For info, see page-63. But don't
write your congressman. He knows nothing about this.

Also debuting that very same February 23 is issue #6 of
COMICS SCENE, the first of its bi-monthly incarnation.
There's nifty stuff galore on hand, including interviews with
James Bond's Mike Grell, Justice League's Keith Giffen,
Daredevil's Ann Nocenti, Ms. Tree's Max Allan Collins and a
couple of legends— namely that "good duck artist" and pal of
Uncle Scrooge, Carl Barks and the man who created Batman,
Bob Kane. You'll also see a bit more of the Batman and
Swamp Thing movies, meet STARLOG's Batman contest
winner and encounter another side of the Boy of Steel, John
Haymes Newton (who portrays Superboy in syndicated TV
adventures). Plus, there'll be ads and all those things you've
come to expect from any good magazine: a masthead! Page
numbers! And maybe even an upcoming issues box (as below).

Which brings me to a clarification. I've found myself recent-
ly chastized by readers who still believe that what's listed below
is what we solemnly promise will be in the very next issue.
Tain't so, McGee. (Am I dating myself?) It clearly says "the
future in STARLOG" there in bold type, not "next issue." All
of those articles will appear — maybe not today, maybe not
tomorrow, but someday, not necessarily next issue.

There's a very utilitarian reason why: I'm never completely,
undeniably certain just when some articles will be published.
There may be deadline problems (on the part of writers and
editors), a lack of photos (as afflicted one story rescheduled to
this very issue) or an abundance of text/corresponding scarcity
of space (which postponed another piece to this ish). All of
those things can delay an article at the very last minute. Thus,
promising those stories in the general future instead of the
specific future (of a next issue) allows all options kept open.

Seems like the utilitarian thing to do.

—David McDonnell/Editor (December 1988)

The future in STARLOG: It's off to The Final Frontier as William Shatner launches Star Trek V. . .Jeff
Corey reflects on the horrors of blacklisting while leading a mob against Superman and the Mole
Men. . .Charles Schneer looks back at his life's work in fantasy, producing the magicks of Ray
Harryhausen. . .Andre Norton talks of writing Witchworld and the wonders of science-fiction
literature. . .director Nathan Juran (in a rare interview) sets sail on The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. . .and
Terry Gilliam steps behind the myths and legends to unleash The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
The fables begin in STARLOG #141, on sale Tuesday, March 7, 1989.

74 STARLOG/Aforc/i 1989

Relive your favorite films
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